Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — During the conference "Goodwill Ambassadors of the Aral Sea Region," organized as part of the International Aral Tourism Week in the Republic of Karakalpakstan, the importance of close cooperation with the General Prosecutor's Office and territorial prosecution agencies in preventing and addressing environmental crimes was emphasized.

In his speech, Aziz Eshbekov, Deputy Head of the General Prosecutor's Office, outlined the key areas where efforts are focused in the fight against environmental offenses.

For reference: According to international organizations, the annual damage caused by environmental crimes worldwide is estimated at around 200 billion US dollars. Their consequences include the loss of biodiversity, threats to public health, economic losses, and the acceleration of climate change processes.

Among the priority tasks were the fight against environmental pollution, illegal logging, poaching, illegal mining of minerals, and the smuggling of wildlife and plants. Attention was also drawn to the need to combat corruption in this sector. Eshbekov emphasized that it is crucial to foster environmental culture within society, develop a sense of responsibility for nature, use natural resources rationally, strengthen control mechanisms, and ensure accountability for harm caused to nature. He also highlighted the importance of expanding interagency, interregional, and international cooperation.

Uktam Utaev, Deputy Prosecutor of Andijan Region, conducted a comparative analysis of the Aral region's past and present. He pointed out that as a result of state reforms, significant progress has been made in slowing desertification, enhancing biodiversity protection efforts, and focusing on the preservation of rare species of flora and fauna in the Aral Sea region.

Meanwhile, Sirojiddin Faiziev, Deputy Prosecutor of Kashkadarya Region, addressed the issues of illegal logging, illegal trade in natural plants, and the measures being taken to prevent desertification.

For reference: Every year, around 12 million hectares of fertile land are lost worldwide — equivalent to 23 hectares every minute. Currently, 75% of the Earth's surface is subject to degradation. If the current rate continues, by 2050, up to 95% of land could become unsuitable for use. Over the past 300 years, 87% of irrigated lands have turned into deserts. In Uzbekistan, about 9 square meters of land are degraded daily.

According to S. Faiziev, a comprehensive approach to combating desertification is being implemented in Kashkadarya Region. As part of the national initiative "Yashil Makon," more than 8.2 million tree saplings have been planted near agricultural lands in 2024-2025. An additional 841,000 saplings have been planted along industrial facilities and highways, where "green belts" have also been created.

The region is actively implementing measures to prevent environmental offenses. In 2024 and the current period of 2025, 231 violations related to the protection of plant life have been recorded, and administrative and criminal measures have been taken. The total amount of damage compensated amounted to 1.7 billion soums.