Overall Objective

GGGI’s role is to support Uzbekistan’s environmentally sustainable economic growth through green growth projects, building on development initiatives by the government at the national and local level, in collaboration with other development partners. 

GGGI Uzbekistan Country Planning Framework (CPF) for 2021-2025 is the strategy of the GGGI Uzbekistan program for the next 5 years. In the CPF period, GGGI will focus on supporting the government in developing and updating policies to create an enabling environment for green investments and prepare projects to directly mobilize investments for climate-resilient agriculture, waste management, and green buildings. These efforts will align with national goals and priorities expressed in National Development Strategy (Action Strategy) for 2017-2021, Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), and Strategy for Uzbekistan’s Transition to Green Economy 2019-2030. 

The proposed programmatic solutions in the CPF are as follows:

1) Green Investment

2) Climate Action

3) Climate Resilient Agriculture

4) Waste Management

5) Green Buildings

The table below summarizes the proposed strategic outcomes under the CPF (2021-2025):

Strategic Outcome Targets

SO1. Reduced GHG emission 7,329 MtCO2eq
SO2. Creation of green jobs 1,787 green jobs created
SO3.1. Increased access to sustainable services -
SO4. Improved air quality -
SO5. Adequate maintenance of natural capital 4,471 hectares maintained
SO6. Enhanced adaptation to climate change 236,400 people benefitting from improved adaptation capacities

Themes

Contact
Aaron Russell

Country Representative, Uzbekistan

Resource Partner
Implementation Partner

Context

The Republic of Uzbekistan (Uzbekistan) is a landlocked country with a total land area of 447,400 km² in Central Asia, south and southeast of the Aral Sea, bordered by five neighboring countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and Turkmenistan. The country’s population is about 33 million, of which 50.5% live in urban areas. Uzbekistan’s gross national income (GNI) stands at USD 50.5 billion. In 2011, the country graduated to a lower-middle-income classification and now its GDP per capita has reached 1,724.5 USD[1],  showing sustained economic development.  Although the official poverty rate in 2018 declined by 0.5% from the 2017 level, approximately 11.4% of the population sit below the Basic Needs Poverty Line.[2] In terms of GDP share in 2019, agriculture, forestry, and fishing (25.5%), services (32.2%) and industry with 33.2% (comprising manufacturing, mining, construction, etc.) sectors comprise the key drivers of the country’s economy.[3]

Real GDP growth increased marginally to 5.564% in 2019, supported by investment growth that was financed by substantial increases in direct lending to SOEs[4], more robust agricultural growth, and increased construction activity.[5] However, economic growth in Uzbekistan did not conform proportionally[6]  to the projected real GDP growth in 2020, as it has not translated into substantial employment generation. The COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to the challenges for the market transition and significantly increasing the risk that poverty will rise.[7] Thus, it is crucial for Uzbekistan to continue prioritization and implementation of key reforms in order to sustain vigorous and inclusive economic growth and job creation. The country confirmed its intentions towards more sustainable development by adopting a strategy towards a green economy and committed to green reforms as part of the country’s development agenda, which include:

– increasing energy efficiency of the key sectors of the economy;

– adaptation and mitigation of the effects of climate change;

– increased efficiency in the use of natural resources and conservation of natural ecosystems;

– diversification of energy consumption and development of the use of renewable energy sources; and

– development of financial and non-financial mechanisms to support the green economy.

The 2019 UNDP Human Development Index ranked Uzbekistan at 64 out of 162 countries on Gender Inequality Index (GII), with female participation in the labor market at 65.4% compared to 78.0% for men.[8] The status of women and men in Uzbekistan is largely shaped by the significant and rapid changes in recent years.  Over the past 10 years, the number of small and medium-sized enterprises headed by women has increased by a factor of 1.6 and the proportion of women employed in small businesses and private enterprises has risen to 45.7%. To promote the involvement of women in business activities and the development of family businesses, loans to women have doubled over the past two years. These days about 6.5% of the members of the Cabinet and 15.3% of the heads of local executive authorities. The proportion of women in senior management positions in ministries, State committees and agencies stands at 10 % and, in middle management positions, 24%, in the areas of health care and social services, the proportion of women is higher than 82%; in science, education and child development, culture and the arts – 72%; in agriculture – 45%; and in the industry – 38%.[9]

Although the Global Gender Gap Index and the Gender Equity Index show that the country is close to attaining gender equality in education and health, issues related to the status of women, social inclusion and gender equality still require attention. In 2017, the Women Committee of Uzbekistan (WCU) employment, creation of new jobs, development of business and entrepreneurial skills as the key issues for women in larger and small cities; and social and municipal infrastructure, family and home-based business development as the key issues for rural women[10]. There are still existing inequalities in areas of property ownership; decision making; the labor market (with women mostly in seasonal and low paid jobs in the formal and informal sector; traditional attitudes towards and stereotypes in most sectors. Despite country reforms, including initiatives to improve women’s economic opportunities, efforts to promote gender equality and social inclusion mostly remain separate from the nation’s development programs.[11]

From the gender and social inclusion perspective, women (including those engaged in formal or informal employment) contribute to their family’s livelihood by undertaking their traditional roles such as providing the necessary levels of water, heat, food – tending small gardens and large plots of land, growing fruits, vegetables, caring for livestock, production of dairy products for family consumption and for sales in the community. Women spend as much time on nonmarket or unpaid activities as men spend on paid work. However, this economic benefit derived from women’s contribution has not been calculated and is not included in GDP calculations. With regards to labor migration which allows people to earn a higher income, women are very unlikely to leave their families due to their reproductive functions which require their constant presence in their households.

Although the country continues its course towards achieving SDG targets, related challenges such as inequality and rural-urban and regional disparities persist. Poverty is concentrated in rural areas, distant from centers of economic activity and with inferior public services and infrastructure. Incomes are below the national average in the remote region of Karakalpakstan (the persistently high poverty level in Karakalpakstan (27%) is directly linked to the Aral Sea crisis[12]), in the rural provinces of Jizzakh, Samarkand, Surkhandarya, and Kashkadarya, and in the three regions of the Fergana Valley—Namangan, Andijan, and Fergana. The urban-rural disparity in poverty is also attributed to low productivity in labor-intensive agriculture, deficiencies in the coverage and quality of infrastructure, existence of informality in the labor market, and regional disparities in funding.[13]

 

[1] World Bank (2019).  Uzbekistan Overview. Retrieved from: https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/uzbekistan/overview

[2] World Bank (2020). Europe and Central Asia Economic Update, Spring 2020: Fighting COVID-19. Washington, DC: World Bank. Retrieved from: https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/33476

[3] World Bank (2018). Uzbekistan. Retrieved from: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NV.AGR.TOTL.ZS?locations=AM-UZ

[4] World Bank in Uzbekistan. (2019). Country Snapshot. Retrieved from: .http://pubdocs.worldbank.org/en/389531571374572251/Uzbekistan-Snapshot-Oct2019.pdf

[5] World Bank (2020). Fighting COVID-19. Europe and Central Asia Update. Retrieved from: https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/33476/9781464815645.pdf

[6] The United Nations Development Programme (2018). Unsustainable employment in Uzbekistan: the status, problems and solutions (original publication in Russian. Retrieved from: https://www.uz.undp.org/content/uzbekistan/en/home/library/poverty/unsustainable-employment-in-uzbekistan–the-status–problems-and.html

[7] World Bank (2020). Europe and Central Asia Economic Update, Spring 2020 : Fighting COVID-19. Washington, DC: World Bank. Retrieved from: https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/33476

[8] UNDP Human Development Report (2019). Inequalities in Human Development in the 21st Century. Retrieved from http://hdr.undp.org/sites/all/themes/hdr_theme/country-notes/UZB.pdf

[9] The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (2019). Third periodic report submitted by Uzbekistan under articles 16 and 17 of the Covenant, due in 2019. Retrieved from: https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/treatybodyexternal/Download.aspx?symbolno=E%2fC.12%2fUZB%2f3&Lang=en

[10] The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2019). Gender, agriculture and rural development in Uzbekistan. Gender Assessment series. Retrieved from: http://www.fao.org/3/ca4628en/ca4628en.pdf

[11] Asian Development Bank (2018). Uzbekistan Country Gender Assessment. Retrieved from: https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/institutional-document/479841/uzbekistan-country-gender-assessment-update.pdf

[12] Refer to the table in P.11 of the Needs of the Population in the Aral Sea Region (2017) by the Institute for Social Research Under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan and UNDP

[13] Asian Development Bank (2019). Inclusive and sustainable growth assessment. Retrieved from: https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/linked-documents/04_UZB%20CPS_LD_ISGA.pdf. Uzbekistan: Country Partnership Strategy (2019-2023)

 

News

News • February 7, 2023

Country Planning Framework (CPF) event with the Ministry of Natural Resources

On 24th of January 2023 in the Ministry of Natural Resources (MoNR) in Tashkent, the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) Uzbekistan held their Country Planning Framework (CPF) under the “Green Rehabilitation Investment Project for Karakalpakstan Republic to Address Impacts of the Aral Sea Crisis” (Aral Sea GRIP). Representatives from each department of the MoNR joined for […]

News • February 7, 2023

Meeting with Uzbekistan’s Minister of Natural Resources

On 19 January 2023, Dr. Aaron Russell, Country Representative of GGGI Uzbekistan, met H.E. Mr. Aziz A. Abdukhakimov, Minister for Natural Resources in Uzbekistan. In the meeting, the GGGI team briefed H.E. Mr. Abdukhakimov on the organisation’s support of Uzbekistan’s green growth as well as its comparative advantage, providing embedded technical and advisory services to […]

News • February 3, 2023

GGGI and the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade (MIFT) to further strengthen partnership in effective Aral Sea Strategy

On September 6, a meeting was held between H. E. Mr. Badriddin N. Abidov, Deputy Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, and Dr. Aaron Russell, Country Representative of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) in Uzbekistan. During the meeting, H.E. Mr. Abidov acknowledged GGGI’s support for the State Committee for Ecology and Environmental Protection (SCEEP) […]

News • January 19, 2023

Launch of the Business Development Platform in Nukus

On October 28th and 29th, 2022, GGGI’s Business Development Platform (BDP) was launched in a two-day event in Nukus, Karakalpakstan Republic. The platform has been developed for smallholder and commercial farmers, MSMEs, and institutional enablers in the Aral Sea region and provides the information needed to conduct business in the agriculture and environmental sectors in […]

News • January 18, 2023

Meeting between Ban Ki-moon, Chairman of the Assembly of GGGI, and Vladimir Norov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan

On October 24th, 2022, in Seoul, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan, Vladimir Norov, met with the Chairman of the Assembly of GGGI, Ban Ki-moon. Currently, H.E. Mr. Norov is in South Korea to participate in the 15th Cooperation Forum “Central Asia – the Republic of Korea.” Ban Ki-moon and Mr. Norov spoke about […]

News • July 22, 2022

MoU between German Sparkassenstiftung and GGGI Uzbekistan

We are happy to announce that on Monday, the 27th of June, the German Sparkassenstiftung (DSIK) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Green Entrepreneurial Education and Development of the Agribusiness Sector in the Republic of Uzbekistan with GGGI.  The MoU sets the foundation for future cooperation in the Aral Sea Region. The GGGI project “Green […]

News • June 27, 2022

Second Technical Advisory Consultation for GGGI Aral Sea GRIP – Tashkent, 22 June

On 22 June 2022 GGGI Uzbekistan and the State Committee for Ecology and Environmental Protection (SCEEP) conducted the second 2022 Aral Sea GRIP Technical Advisory Consultation under the ‘Green Rehabilitation Investment Project for Karakalpakstan Republic to Address the Impacts of the Aral Sea Crisis’ (Aral Sea GRIP) in Tashkent. The event was honored with the […]

News • June 17, 2022

Technical Advisory Consultation for GGGI Aral Sea GRIP in Nukus on 14 June

On 14 June 2022 in the Chamber of Commerce (TPP) in Nukus, GGGI Uzbekistan held their Technical Advisory Consultation for the ‘Green Rehabilitation Investment Project for Karakalpakstan Republic to Address Impacts of the Aral Sea Crisis’ (Aral Sea GRIP Project).  This event followed up on the Technical Consultation Workshop that GGGI held in March, during […]

News • June 3, 2022

Partnership Agreement on Business Development Platform between GGGI and Consort Group LLC.

On 31 May 2022, a Partnership Agreement on the development, operation, and maintenance of the Business Development Platform (BDP) between the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) in Uzbekistan and the Consort Group Limited Liability Company under the ‘Green Rehabilitation Investment Project for Karakalpakstan Republic to address impacts of the Aral Sea crisis,’ funded by the Korea International Cooperation […]

News • April 12, 2022

Joint Declaration of Intent between the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator and the Global Green Growth Institute in Uzbekistan

On 30 March 2022, a Joint Declaration of Intent (the Declaration) on Cooperation in Meeting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Uzbekistan was signed between the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) in Uzbekistan, the implementer of the “Green Rehabilitation Investment Project for Karakalpakstan Republic to Address Impacts of the Aral Sea Crisis (Aral Sea […]

News • March 4, 2022

GGGI Uzbekistan Country Office Established in Uzbekistan

Tuesday, February 22, 2022 – The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) and the State Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Ecology and Environmental Protection (SCEEP) held an official ceremony for the opening of GGGI’s new country office in Uzbekistan today. The opening event was attended by high-level government officials and development partners. Keynote speakers […]

News • November 10, 2021

GGGI Uzbekistan participates in the COP26 Side Event on Upscaling Green Climate Financing and Green ODA for Climate Action and Green Recovery of developing countries

Glasgow, November 8, 2021 – During COP26 in Glasgow, the GGGI Uzbekistan team was pleased to participate in a high-level side event entitled Upscaling Green Climate Financing and Green ODA for Climate Action and Green Recovery of developing countries. In this panel session, GGGI Uzbekistan Country Representative (Dr. Aaron Russell) and Uzbekistan’s State Committee for […]

News • October 19, 2021

Karakalpakstan Mission: GGGI visited Nukus to meet with key implementation partners of the Aral Sea GRIP Project

Nukus, September 27-30, 2021 – Under the framework of the “Green Rehabilitation Investment Project for Karakalpakstan Republic to address impacts of the Aral Sea Crisis” (Aral Sea GRIP) Project, GGGI’s Uzbekistan country team conducted a technical consultation mission to Nukus in the Republic of Karakalpakstan, from September 27-30, 2021. During the mission, GGGI held high-level […]

News • July 6, 2021

KOICA подписывает Грантовое Соглашение с GGGI на реализацию проекта стоимостью 5,6 млн долларов в поддержку экологического восстановления в регионе Аральского моря

2 июля, 2021; Ташкент – 2 июля 2021 года Корейское агентство по международному сотрудничеству (KOICA) и Глобальный институт зеленого роста (GGGI) подписали соглашение о реализации «Зеленое восстановление для региона Приаралья для преодоления последствий кризиса Аральского моря». Этот проект имеет бюджет 5,6 млн. долларов США и будет реализован с 1 июля 2021 года по 30 июня […]

News • July 6, 2021

KOICA signs a Grant Arrangement with GGGI to implement a $5.6M project to support Green Recovery around the Aral Sea

July 2, 2021; Tashkent – On July 2, 2021 the Korean Development Agency (KOICA) and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) signed an agreement for implementation of the “Green Rehabilitation Investment Project for Karakalpakstan Republic to address impacts of the Aral Sea Crisis”.  This project has a budget of $5.6 million and will be implemented […]

News • June 18, 2021

KOICA, SCEEP and GGGI met on the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought to discuss plans for a Green Rehabilitation Investment Project for the Aral Sea project and other areas of cooperation

Tashkent, Uzbekistan; June 17, 2021– Delegations of the Korea International Cooperation Agency – (led by KOICA Country Director Ms. Sunjin Park) the State Committee for Ecology and Environmental Protection (led by SCEEP Deputy Chairman Mr. Jusipbek Kazbekov) and the Global Green Growth Institute (led by GGGI Country Representative Dr. Aaron Russell), met on June 17, […]

News • June 4, 2021

GGGI signs a Host Country Agreement with the Republic of Uzbekistan to strengthen cooperation by establishing GGGI’s country office in Uzbekistan

On June 5, GGGI and the Republic of Uzbekistan signed a Host Country Agreement (HCA), harnessing opportunities to support Uzbekistan’s transition toward a low-carbon, climate resilient development pathway. This step is a milestone in the developing partnership between GGGI and Uzbekistan with strong support from President Mirzoyoyev of the Republic of Uzbekistan. In his video […]

News • March 29, 2021

GGGI signs an MoU with Uzbekistan to support the country’s transition to a green growth pathway

Thursday, March 25, 2021 — On 25 March, the Republic of Uzbekistan officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) to formalize their partnership and the commencement of the GGGI Country Program in 2021. Due to COVID-19, the signing took place virtually with the Chairman of the State Committee […]

Projects

ROA02
Countries
ROA02 Green Rehabilitation Investment Project for Karakalpakstan Republic to Address Impacts of the Aral Sea Crisis (2021-2024)
Start Date Q3 2 JULY 2021
Funding Source
Actual Budget (USD) 5,600,000
Status Active
Thematic Area
  • Climate Resilient and Green Growth
View

Reports

Review of Strategic Plan 2015-2020: Commitments Delivered and Key Results Uzbekistan  • Caribbean  • Ecuador  • Cambodia  • Mongolia
Report
Review of Strategic Plan 2015-2020: Commitments Delivered and Key Results

Uzbekistan  • Caribbean  • Ecuador  • Cambodia  • Mongolia  • Saint Lucia  • Mozambique  • Guyana  • Papua New Guinea  • Colombia  • Nepal  • Costa Rica  • Hungary  • Fiji  • Philippines  • India  • Rwanda  • Jordan  • Senegal  • Kiribati  • United Arab Emirates  • Lao PDR  • Viet Nam  • Uganda  • Morocco  • Ethiopia  • Myanmar  • Burkina Faso  • Peru  • Green Cities  • Tonga  • Qatar  • Indonesia  • Forest (Sustainable) Landscapes  • México  • Sustainable Energy  • Thailand  • Green Buildings and Industry  • Vanuatu  • Gender and Inclusive Development  • Sustainable Transport  • Waste  • Solar Energy  • Sustainable Landscapes  • Green Finance  • Climate-Smart Agriculture  • Coastal Resilience

Second Joint Donor Review (2013) Pacific  • Uzbekistan  • Paraguay  • Rwanda  • Cambodia
Report
Second Joint Donor Review (2013)

Pacific  • Uzbekistan  • Paraguay  • Rwanda  • Cambodia  • United Arab Emirates  • Viet Nam  • Guyana  • Papua New Guinea  • Costa Rica  • India  • Kiribati  • Mongolia  • Philippines  • Ethiopia  • Qatar  • Peru  • Indonesia  • México  • Thailand

GGGI In-Country Staff

Aaron Russell

Country Representative, Uzbekistan