New IUCN co-implemented project to boost ecosystem restoration in Uzbekistan – International Union for Conservation of Nature

Project Report: Integrated Management and Restoration of Valuable Landscapes in Uzbekistan (EcoLand)

Introduction and Official Launch

The GEF-8 project, “Integrated Management and Restoration of Valuable Landscapes in Uzbekistan (EcoLand),” was officially launched at the 20th Conference of the Parties to the CITES Convention (CITES CoP20) in Samarkand. The launch signifies a major national and international commitment to advancing landscape restoration and sustainable development across Uzbekistan.

With a total budget of USD 6.1 million funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the project is co-implemented by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with the National Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Ecology and Climate Change.

Strategic Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The EcoLand project is designed to directly contribute to several key Sustainable Development Goals, addressing pressing environmental challenges through scalable, integrated solutions.

SDG 15: Life on Land

The project’s core mission is the protection, restoration, and promotion of sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems.

• Combating Desertification: The project directly addresses the urgent issue of desertification, highlighted by the estimate that nine square meters of land in Uzbekistan turns into desert every minute.
• Halting Land Degradation: Key objectives include restoring degraded landscapes and strengthening the management of Key Biodiversity Areas to achieve land degradation neutrality.
• Conserving Biodiversity: By reinforcing protected-area management and conserving unique ecosystems from the Western Tien Shan mountains to the central steppes and deserts, the project supports Uzbekistan’s commitments under the Global Biodiversity Framework.

SDG 13: Climate Action

EcoLand integrates climate action by strengthening resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards.

• Building Climate Resilience: As stated by IUCN’s Director General, Dr Grethel Aguilar, the restored landscapes will serve as “living proof” of transformation for “climate resilience.”
• Supporting National Strategies: The project aligns with and supports Uzbekistan’s National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy, enhancing the country’s capacity to manage the growing impacts of climate change.
• Ecosystem-Based Adaptation: The restoration of vital ecosystem services, such as water regulation and soil fertility, provides natural solutions to mitigate climate impacts.

SDG 1: No Poverty & SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

The project emphasizes community involvement to ensure that conservation efforts also generate sustainable livelihoods.

• Empowering Local Communities: A primary goal is to promote sustainable, community-based natural-resource use for the benefit of local populations.
• Sustaining Livelihoods: By protecting the ecosystem services that sustain livelihoods, the project contributes to economic well-being and poverty reduction in rural areas.
• Green Growth: The initiative is a practical implementation of Uzbekistan’s Green Growth Strategy, fostering economic models that benefit both people and the planet.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

The project’s structure embodies a multi-stakeholder approach to achieving sustainable development.

• Global and National Collaboration: The partnership involves the GEF, IUCN, UNDP, and the Government of Uzbekistan, demonstrating a powerful coalition for environmental action.
• Strengthened Cooperation: A formal signing ceremony at the launch event marked the strengthened cooperation among partners, combining global expertise with national ownership to drive meaningful change.
• Shared Vision: The project unites global partners behind a shared vision, showcasing what is possible through regional and international cooperation.

Project Implementation and Scope

Objectives and Geographic Focus

The EcoLand project will be implemented across three key landscape clusters, targeting some of Uzbekistan’s most valuable and diverse natural areas. The primary objectives are to restore degraded landscapes, strengthen protected-area management, and promote sustainable community-based natural resource use.

Pilot Regions and Districts

1. Tashkent Region: Parkent and Akhangaran districts
2. Surkhandarya Region: Baysun and Sherabad districts
3. Kashkadarya Region: Dekhkanabad district
4. Navoi Region: Khatynchi and Nurata districts
5. Samarkand Region: Koshrabad and Payarik districts
6. Jizzakh Region: Forish district

Analysis of the EcoLand Project in Uzbekistan and its Relation to SDGs

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 15: Life on Land

   • The article’s primary focus is on terrestrial ecosystems. It explicitly mentions the project’s aims to “restore degraded landscapes,” “strengthen protected-area management,” combat “land degradation,” address “biodiversity loss,” and fight desertification, as highlighted by the statement that “every minute, nine square meters of land in Uzbekistan turns into desert.”

2. SDG 13: Climate Action

   • The project directly addresses climate change by aiming to build “climate resilience” and tackle the “growing impacts of climate change.” The article also notes that the project aligns with Uzbekistan’s “National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy.”

3. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

   • The entire project is an example of a multi-stakeholder partnership. The article details the collaboration between the Global Environment Facility (GEF), IUCN, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the National Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Ecology and Climate Change. The launch event itself is described as a moment when “global partners unite behind a shared vision.”

4. SDG 1: No Poverty

   • The project has a clear human-centric component aimed at improving livelihoods. It seeks to “promote sustainable, community-based natural-resource use for the benefit of both people” and “empowering local communities.” It acknowledges that the landscapes provide vital ecosystem services that “sustain livelihoods.”

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Targets under SDG 15 (Life on Land)

   • Target 15.3: By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world.
     • Explanation: The project’s core objective is to “restore degraded landscapes.” This directly supports Target 15.3, which is further emphasized by the urgent problem cited: “every minute, nine square meters of land in Uzbekistan turns into desert.”
   • Target 15.5: Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2025, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species.
     • Explanation: The project aims to address “biodiversity loss” and will contribute to “strengthening management of the Key Biodiversity Areas,” which is a direct action towards protecting natural habitats and their biodiversity.
   • Target 15.1: By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains and drylands, in line with obligations under international agreements.
     • Explanation: The project focuses on the “Integrated Management and Restoration of Valuable Landscapes” across diverse ecosystems, including the “mountain ranges of the Western Tien Shan and Hissar to the steppes and deserts,” which aligns with the conservation and restoration goals of this target.

2. Target under SDG 13 (Climate Action)

   • Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.
     • Explanation: A stated outcome of the project is to enhance “climate resilience.” By restoring landscapes, the project helps ecosystems and local communities adapt to the “growing impacts of climate change,” directly contributing to this target.

3. Target under SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals)

   • Target 17.16: Enhance the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources.
     • Explanation: The project is a partnership co-implemented by IUCN and UNDP, funded by GEF, and organized with the Uzbekistan government. The article highlights this collaboration, stating, “our organizations bring complementary strengths, national ownership, global expertise and networks on the ground needed to drive meaningful change.”

4. Target under SDG 1 (No Poverty)

   • Target 1.4: By 2030, ensure that all men and women, in particular the poor and the vulnerable, have equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to basic services, ownership and control over land and other forms of property…
     • Explanation: The project’s focus on “sustainable, community-based natural-resource use” and “empowering local communities” implies improving local populations’ access to and control over natural resources that “sustain livelihoods,” which is central to this target.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Indicators for SDG 15

   • Explicit Indicator (related to 15.3.1 – Proportion of land that is degraded over total land area): The article explicitly states the rate of desertification: “nine square meters of land in Uzbekistan turns into desert” every minute. This serves as a baseline indicator of the problem the project aims to address. Project success could be measured by the reduction of this rate in the pilot districts.
   • Implied Indicator: The project will take place across “six regions and ten pilot districts.” The total area of “degraded landscapes” restored within these districts would be a key indicator of progress.
   • Implied Indicator: The number and area of “Key Biodiversity Areas” with strengthened management plans would be an indicator for measuring progress on biodiversity conservation.

2. Indicators for SDG 17

   • Explicit Indicator (related to 17.3.1 – Additional financial resources mobilized for developing countries): The article specifies the project’s “total budget of USD 6.1 million,” which is a direct indicator of the financial resources mobilized for this partnership.
   • Implied Indicator: The number of partners involved (GEF, IUCN, UNDP, Government of Uzbekistan) serves as an indicator of the multi-stakeholder nature of the collaboration.

3. Indicators for SDG 1 and SDG 13

   • Implied Indicator: While not quantified, progress could be measured by the number of communities benefiting from “sustainable, community-based natural-resource use” and the improvement in livelihoods. Similarly, assessments of “climate resilience” in the target communities and ecosystems before and after the project would serve as an indicator for SDG 13.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: iucn.org