Uzbekistan to increase green space to 30% by 2030

Uzbekistan is implementing a nationwide project called “Yashil Makon” ("Green Space") aimed at improving the environment, reported UPL.uz. The main goal is to increase the country's greenery to 30% and forest coverage to 15% (6.1 million hectares) by 2030.

To achieve this, 200 million seedlings are planted annually. Over the past four years, 872 million have already been planted. In spring 2025 alone, 136.9 million were planted (above the 125 million planned), with 8.3 million placed on forest reserve lands.

In dry regions, 90 wells were dug, 478.45 km of irrigation systems were built, and 460 units of machinery were deployed to ensure stable watering.

In 2025, 30 million seedlings are expected to be prepared. 14 million have already been delivered in spring, the rest will arrive in autumn.

Seedlings have also been sent to schools (406,372), medical centers (492,623), and 1,024 neighborhoods (808,200).

In the Aral Sea region, 126,200 hectares have been greened:
• Karakalpakstan — 71,900 ha
• Bukhara — 23,300 ha
• Navoi — 16,000 ha
• Khorezm — 15,000 ha

Additionally, 256 hectares of protective forests have been established in desert and mountainous areas. Rare plants, like saxaul, are also being planted to prevent sandstorms.

However, many citizens on social media express doubt over the official numbers, pointing out that seedlings often die due to lack of irrigation. For instance, on Yukori Karakamysh street, some trees reportedly weren't watered for months.