Uzcosmos and UNESCAP launch project to monitor drought in Central Asia

As part of the project, regional states will be supported in improving drought management systems, making timely use of satellite data and technical resources. In particular, plans include the creation of an operational drought monitoring system and a cloud-based crop monitoring platform tailored to the specific conditions of each country.

On 18 August, an international seminar was held at the Ministry of Digital Technologies, where participants exchanged views on the implementation of the project in Uzbekistan and discussed existing opportunities. It was noted that drought is among the most dangerous natural disasters in Central Asia and other regions with arid climates. This process is linked not only to climatic factors but also to human activity, particularly mismanagement of water resources.

In recent years, space technologies have become an important tool for monitoring, assessing, and preventing drought. Satellite data has elevated decision-making in agriculture, ecology, and water management to a qualitatively new level.

To this end, work began in May 2025 on the development of a National Drought Monitoring System, which will be introduced in the regions of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

The Central Asian drought monitoring system based on Earth remote sensing technologies – developed in cooperation with Uzcosmos and UNESCAP – is expected to become one of the region’s most unique projects in this field.