Minister of Ecology, Environmental Protection, and Climate Change Aziz Abdukhakimov met with Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity Dr. David Cooper.
On behalf of the Government of Uzbekistan, the Minister expressed gratitude to the distinguished guest for participating in the CMS COP14 international conference. The consistent reforms in environmental protection in our country were also highlighted.
"2023 has become a year of great changes in the field of ecology in Uzbekistan. The government has implemented reforms aimed at eliminating current environmental problems. We are in the process of radically changing the environmental complex", said Aziz Abdukhakimov.
At the same time, the minister noted that several things are being done to preserve biodiversity in Uzbekistan.
"Over the past 6 years, the coverage of protected natural areas has increased from 4 to 14 percent. Today, the area of protected areas is 6 million hectares. It is very important to restore degraded lands. Therefore, attention is being paid to the creation of large-scale forests in Uzbekistan, including more than 2 million hectares on the bottom of the Aral Sea", said the minister.
It was noted at the meeting that promising projects are being implemented in Uzbekistan to restore species that maintain the balance and stability of the ecosystem. In particular, it was noted that a specialized nursery called "Jeyran" has been established in Bukhara, which is considered a highly effective breeding center, which is important for the restoration of the population of endangered species.
In addition, it was said about big plans to restore such a species as the cheetah.
"Uzbekistan has the largest population of endangered Bukhara deer. We are working to expand and improve the network of protected areas for this unique species" said the minister.
During the meeting, it was said about the creation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Program (GBF) foundation.
Following the talks, issues of cooperation in projects aimed at preserving biological diversity, the development and support of a national plan for the reintroduction of Asian cheetahs to Uzbekistan, exploring the possibilities of tourism in protected areas and natural parks, and issues of youth involvement were discussed.
