Uzbekistan sets goal to reduce atmospheric pollutants by 10.5 percent over five years

A central feature of the decree is the introduction of a permanent moratorium on the creation of new industrial zones within the city of Tashkent, effective from April 1, 2026. This move is part of a broader strategy to decrease the frequency of days when national safety standards for PM2.5 particulate matter are exceeded. To monitor and mitigate industrial impact, enterprises categorized under the first and second levels of environmental influence will be required to install automatic monitoring stations and specialized dust and gas filters.

The mandate also expands the authority of the special commission for improving the ecological situation – originally established for the capital in November 2025 – to cover the entire country until March 1, 2027. Regionally, the government has ordered the creation of "green walls" in the Surkhandarya and Syrdarya regions specifically to prevent the spread of dust storms.

Starting June 1, 2026, environmental requirements for the construction sector will be significantly tightened. Developers will be obligated to install background monitoring stations and video cameras on construction sites for real-time surveillance. these systems must be integrated with the Unified Geoinformation Database of the Committee on Ecology. Furthermore, obtaining environmental expertise conclusions will become a mandatory prerequisite for the approval of project estimates and urban planning documentation.

Landscaping will also become a legal requirement for urban development. For all new buildings and structures exceeding 12 meters in height or 500 square meters in area, developers must allocate a minimum of 30 percent of the territory to green zones. This requirement, which was first discussed during a high-level meeting in February, aims to ensure that rapid urbanization does not come at the expense of the city's ecological health.