Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) —  On 21 October, a video conference was held under the chairmanship of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to discuss the results of the nationwide project "Yashil Makon" and to define priority tasks for the future.

The project aims to plant 200 million trees and shrubs annually to achieve a greening level of 30% by 2030, with the current level at 12%. This spring, 138 million saplings were planted, creating over 10,000 hectares of green belts, and ministries and khokimiyats established 257 gardens. The area of green cover in the Aral Sea region exceeded 2 million hectares.

Since the beginning of this year, 2,000 hectares of land adjacent to roads, rivers, and canals have been leased to 10,000 citizens and entrepreneurs for greening efforts. Under the "Menin Boğim" project, 49 billion soums have been allocated for the creation of 215 new parks in local communities.

Despite the progress made, instances of delays in greening efforts were noted, such as planting saplings on lands without irrigation systems or the lack of replanting trees that have been cut down. During the meeting, tasks for the current season and next year were outlined.

The need to increase the number of saplings adapted to Uzbekistan’s climate was emphasized. Effective collaboration with the Academy of Sciences and ecological services will enhance seed and sapling yields by 2-3 times, contributing to the advancement of science.

In 2024, four gardens with drought-resistant and salt-resistant plants are planned to be created in certain regions. Seeding of saxaul and other plants on 250,000 hectares of desert land will be conducted using drones. It is expected that 1,500 tons of seeds will be harvested annually and the production of 2 million saplings using a closed-root system and in vitro methods will be established.

Local communities will be tasked with planting 100 decorative trees on the streets assigned to them, totaling 6 million trees. The Forest Agency has been instructed to organize fairs for the sale of 30 million saplings. Additionally, 2.5 million trees are planned to be planted in the territories of educational institutions and hospitals.

This year, khokimiyats and ministries plan to plant 40 million saplings, including along 13 international highways. The Ministry of Defense will plant 200,000 saplings, while other law enforcement agencies will each plant 100,000 saplings.

For the implementation of the "Yashil Makon" project in the coming year, 100 billion soums will be allocated, covering costs for tree care and disease protection.

The meeting also addressed issues such as the deterioration of the plant cover in steppes and the increase in green areas in the semi-desert regions of Bukhara and Navoi regions. The creation of a monitoring platform for the ecological situation and increased accountability of the Forest Agency in combating desertification were also raised.

The President emphasized the importance of promoting a healthy lifestyle, physical activity, and proper nutrition in society. Reports from responsible officials were heard, and plans for implementing the outlined tasks were discussed.