Environmental performance reviews united nations

management and protection
State  water  resources  management  at  the  national
level  is  carried  out  by  the  Cabinet  of  Ministers 
through  the  Ministry  of  Agriculture  and  Water
Management,  the  State  Committee  for  Nature
Protection (SCNP), the State Committee on Geology
and Mineral Resources and state local authorities. The 
responsibility  for  national  water  use  and  protection 
is  shared  by  corresponding  local  authorities  at  the
regional and district levels.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Water Management
is  the  state  body  responsible  for  water  resources 
management.  It  plays  the  key  role  in  implementing
state  policy  on  water  management  and  use,  and
coordinates the work of the water management bodies
in  Uzbekistan.  The  main  tasks  of  the  Ministry  of
Agriculture and Water Management relating to water
management  are  the  following:  the  development  of
policy in the agricultural and water resources sector;
the introduction and development of new technologies
in  the  area  of  agriculture  and  water  resources;
the  coordination  of  the  activities  of  commercial 
service  enterprises  and  organizations;  investments
in  irrigation  and  drainage  systems  to  improve  water
resources  management;  the  development  of  policies
and  procedures  for  basin  organizations;  assistance
for  the  development  of  WUAs;  the  introduction  of
IWRM at the river basin level; the creation of strong
research institutions; and the establishment of training
courses for the improvement of on-farm irrigation.
The  basin  administrations  of  irrigation  systems
(BAISs)  are  regional  bodies  under  the  Ministry  of
Agriculture and Water Management. The main tasks
of  BAISs,  which  were  established  on  the  basis  of 
existing  structures,  are  to  manage  the  purposeful
and  rational  use  of  water  resources;  to  implement
an integrated technical water management policy; to
ensure the uninterrupted and timely delivery of water 
to users; to ensure the rational management of water
resources within the basin; and to ensure the reliable
measurement of water use.
The  State  Committee  on  Irrigation  and  Drainage
coordinates  irrigation  and  drainage  activities.
Members  of  this  Committee  are  the  heads  of  large
water management organizations and deputy khokims
(governors)  of  the  regions  responsible  for  water
management issues.
Uzkommunkhizmat  is  the  government  agency
responsible for communal services. It was established 
in  2000  and  replaced  the  Ministry  of  Municipal 
Services. The main tasks of this agency are to ensure
the  stable  and  reliable  operation  of  interregional
water  pipelines;  to  design  and  implement  an
integrated  technical  policy  on  the  exploitation  and
development of interregional water pipelines; and to
develop  proposals/initiatives  for  the  normative  and 
legal framework and for monitoring the technical and
economic conditions affecting municipal services.
Under  the  authority  of  the  khokimiayt  (local
authority)  and  the  agency,  the  regional  municipal
and  exploitation  associations  are  responsible  for 
municipal services at the local levels.
The SCNP is the main executive agency in the area
of  the  environment  and  the  protection  of  natural 
resources.  It  is  responsible  for  the  control  and 
improvement  of  surface  water  use  and  compliance 
with  legislation  on  nature  protection.  Therefore,  it
has  inspectorates,  including  the  State  Specialized
Inspectorate  for  Analytical  Control.  It  develops  and 
implements  environmental  protection  measures.  The 
Committee  is  under  the  direct  authority  of  the  Oliy 
Majlis.
The  State  Committee  on  Geology  and  Mineral
Resources  is  responsible  for  monitoring  and
managing groundwater.
Uzhydromet  monitors  the  hydrological  regime  of
rivers,  lakes  and  reservoirs,  and  is  responsible  for 
monitoring  the  water  quality  of  rivers,  lakes  and
reservoirs.
The Sanitary and Epidemiological Stations ensure the
epidemiological safety of the population. At the state
level, the Stations are subdivisions of the Ministry of 
Health. At  the  regional  and  district  levels,  they  are

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Part III: Environmental concerns in economic sectors and sustainable development
 
 
 
under  the  authority  of  the  relevant  khokimiayt.  The 
Stations  are  responsible  for  monitoring  drinking,
municipal  and  irrigation  water  quality  in  order  to
prevent contamination by harmful substances.
WUAs  are  associations  of  the  newly  established 
private farms and other commercial entities providing
services  in  water  distribution  and  the  operation  and 
maintenance  of  on-farm  irrigation  and  drainage
systems. The  first WUAs  were  set  up  from  1999  to
2000, when the reform of the unprofitable collective
farms led to the establishment of private farms, which 
in  turn  were  integrated  into  farmers’  associations.
These  associations  formed  the  basis  from  which  the 
first 13 WUAs emerged. Now there are 1,693 WUAs
in  Uzbekistan. Although  the  WUAs  are  a  new  type
of non-governmental organization in the area of land
and water use, they already served around 2.8 million 
ha  in  2005  and  are  responsible  for  approximately 
70,000  km  of  irrigation  channels  and  50,000  km  of
drainage networks.
In  order  to  overcome  the  limitations  of  the  existing
legal  system,  in  November  2004,  a  special
government  commission  was  established  to  make
decisions concerning the development of WUAs. The
following decisions were made: to develop a law on
WUAs; to strengthen the role of WUAs in planning
and  managing  the  rational  use  of  water  resources
on  irrigated  lands  and  the  promotion  of  sustainable
IWRM;  to  encourage  WUAs  to  make  better  use  of
their  water  resources  through  the  introduction  of
advanced  irrigation  water  application  technologies,
which  reduce  the  volume  of  water  supplied  per 
hectare;  to  develop  a  special  programme  for  the
introduction  of  modern  irrigation  water  application
technologies  and  a  review  of  issues  associated  with
financing farmers; and to assist WUAs in introducing
water  meters  for  precise  measurements  and 
calculations of the water volumes used by farmers.
6.8 
Conclusions and recommendations
Over  50  per  cent  of  the  lands  located  in  the  alluvial 
plains  suffer  from  salinity  and  overwatering.
Land  salinization  is  a  natural  process  typical  of
all  intermountain,  alluvial  and  proluvial  areas  of 
the  arid  zone.  However,  the  main  reasons  for  soil
salinization  include  partial  drainage-free  irrigation,
which is equal to 22 per cent, huge infiltration losses,
the  construction  of  unlined  canals,  over-irrigation,
uncontrolled water supply and the use of saline water 
for irrigation purposes.
Although  Uzbekistan  plans  to  increase  irrigation
efficiency,  it  has  achieved  progresses  in  the  area
of  water  supply  and  sanitation  and  has  had  its  first
experiences  with  IWRM  implementation,  much 
remains  to  be  done.  It  is  necessary  to  create  the 
basis  for  the  sustainable  use  of  water  resources  and 
for  future  water  management,  as  well  as  to  further
improve  the  supply  of  drinking  water  that  meets
national  requirements,  in  line  with  international 
recommendations,  and  wastewater  treatment  all  over 
the  country  to  guarantee  public  health  and  a  clean
environment.
Therefore,  it  is  necessary  to  avoid  the  tremendous 
losses  caused  by  inefficient  irrigation  techniques,
infiltration  via  unlined  irrigation  canals  and  ditches
as well as evaporation losses, which lead to soil and 
groundwater salinization, waterlogging and collector–
drainage  runoff  that  contains  agrochemicals  such  as
fertilizers or pesticides, by far the main surface water
pollutant.
It  must  be  ensured  that  restoration  procedures  cover 
not  only  the  irrigation  network’s  main  canals  and
pump stations, but also practices at the level of WUAs 
and  farmers,  who  need  adequate  training  in  using
modern measures such as underground and overnight
irrigation  and  financial  support  for  the  restoration
of  their  equipment.  Retired  farmers  who  have  many 
decades of experience in irrigation could be employed
as  senior  experts  to  support  the  implementation  of 
sustainable water use in agriculture.
Plants  would  be  given  just  the  water  that  they
required through the introduction of water metering,
adequate  water  fees,  water-saving  incentives  and
water  dissipation  penalties  for  all  water  users  in 
agriculture.
Recommendation 6.1:
The Ministry of Agriculture and Water Management, 
together with the basin administrations of irrigation 
systems  and  water  user  associations,  should 
implement  water-saving  measures  for  irrigation, 
including:
(a) 
Minimizing infiltration via unlined irrigation 
canals and ditches;
(b) 
Implementing  modern  water  efficient 
irrigation techniques.
IWRM  will  help  to  improve  water  productivity, 
especially  in  arid  areas.  It  must  not  only  ensure  the 
drinking  water  supply,  but  also  meet  the  reasonable

 
Chapter 6: Sustainable management and protection of water resources 
99 
 
demands of agriculture and other sectors of industry,
as  well  as  environmental  demands.  Therefore, 
participative  methods  including  all  these  groups
and  the  promotion  of  institutional  learning  are
indispensable.  The  experience  gained  and  lessons
learned  in  the  region,  with  the  support  of  the
international  community,  will  help  to  increase  the 
possibility  of  a  successful  transition  to  IWRM 
principles  and  approaches  in  Uzbekistan,  requiring
a  legislative  reform  process,  the  appropriate
institutional development at the regional and district
levels and powerful management tools.
The  key  measure  is  to  identify  a  priority  list  for 
investments  in  sewerage  and  wastewater  treatment,
covering the construction of new, and restoration of
old,  installations  and  their  scheduling  and  funding
arrangements. This must be accompanied by training
for  wastewater  treatment  facility  staff  in  plant 
operations,  process  controls,  instrument  operations 
and equipment maintenance.
Furthermore,  it  is  necessary  to  formulate  a  long-
term water pricing strategy that covers the full costs
of  investments,  operations  and  maintenance  of  the 
wastewater  infrastructure.  Social  or  undue  hardships 
should be avoided if appropriate solutions are found.
Another  goal  is  to  ensure  that  industrial  wastewater
is  fully  treated.  This  wastewater  often  contains 
hazardous substances such as heavy metals, phenols
and oily products, which pollute surface waters when 
disposed of into streams or hamper the effectiveness 
of municipal sewage plants when disposed of into the
vodokanal canalizations.
Recommendation 6.2:
The Cabinet of Ministers should:
(a) 
Develop  and  introduce  legal  acts  on 
integrated water resources management principles;
(b) 
Establish  an  appropriate  structure  with 
sufficiently  high  status  focused  on  integrated  water 
management  planning  and  responsible  for  ensuring 
the  coordination  of  actions  in  the  water  sector,  and 
promote  the  required  institutional  development, 
taking into account international experience;
(c) 
Establish  a  mechanism  with  stakeholders 
from 
the 
Government, 
non-governmental 
organizations,  academia  and  the  private  sector  to 
initiate  and  carry  on  a  national  policy  dialogue  on 
integrated  water  management  within  the  framework 
of the European Union Water Initiative, as well as the 
UNECE Water Convention and its Protocol on Water 
and Health, with the UNECE as key strategic partner.
In accordance with recommendation 6.2, a long-term
water pricing strategy with full cost coverage for the
drinking water infrastructure is necessary, as well as
the introduction of water metering for all water users.
Many people, especially in the near Aral Sea region,
have  to  use  water  from  wells  and  irrigation  canals
which  does  not  meet  sanitary  requirements.  The 
improvement of the sanitary living conditions of these
people  and  the  prevention  of  dangerous  intestinal
diseases  also  depend  on  the  state  of  sanitary  waste 
and  sewage  treatment  systems.  For  these  people,
as  well  as  those  in  isolated  rural  settlements,  local 
solutions or long-distance water supply are required.
Recommendation 6.3:
(a) 
The  Agency  Uzkommunkhizmat  and  the 
local  authorities  should  improve  the  efficiency  of 
wastewater treatment.
(b) 
The  Cabinet  of  Ministers  should  develop  a 
national strategy and a long-term programme in order 
to identify the aims, priorities and financial resources 
for  the  water  supply  and  wastewater  treatment 
infrastructure,  and  the  Agency  Uzkommunkhizmat 
and  the  local  authorities  should  implement  this 
strategy.

 
 
101 
 
Chapter 7
LAND MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION
7.1 
Introduction
Most  of  Uzbekistan’s  territory  is  situated  between
two of Central Asia’s largest rivers: the Amu Darya
and  Syr  Darya  Rivers.  The  country  has  a  harsh 
continental  climate  with  four  distinct  seasons  and 
wide  seasonal  and  diurnal  variations  in  temperature. 
The  territory  of  Uzbekistan  can  be  divided  into
plains, foothills and mountainous zones.
The  desert  belt  (chul)  is  the  zone  used  for  irrigated
farming and Karakul sheep herding, and has annual
precipitation  of  100–250  mm.  The  foothill  plains 
belt (adyr) is the zone of very low precipitation. The
mid-mountain  belt  (tau)  is  the  rain-fed  land,  where
normal  annual  precipitation  is  over  400  mm. Along
with  rain-fed  grain  farming,  the  belt  is  favourable
for fruit production. The high-mountain belt (yaylau)
is  characterized  by  meadow  steppe  vegetation.
Permanent  meadows  and  pastures  cover  more  than 
half of the land area (figure 7.1).
Agricultural  production,  while  depending  on  land
and water, has significantly affected, and is affecting,
the  state  of  these  vital  resources.  Agriculture  is
one  of  the  key  sectors  of  Uzbekistan’s  economy,
contributing  to  gross  domestic  product  (GDP)  by
30.7 per cent in 2007. With regard to food security,
agriculture accounts for 80 per cent of the entire food
consumption in Uzbekistan.
Agriculture  is  the  most  important  sector  in
Uzbekistan.  The  Uzbek  population  has  increased
rapidly,  from  8.4  million  in  1960  to  26.7  million  in 
2007 (population growth rate at present is 1.732 per
cent).  In  2007,  64.1  per  cent  of  the  total  population 
lived  in  rural  areas.  Sixty-three  per  cent  of  the  rural 
population  made  their  living  in  agriculture.  Eighty-
eight per cent of the population lived under the threat
of desertification, with this figure likely to increase as
a result of climate change. With 32.4 per cent of the
population being under the age of 14 years, there is a
high potential for migration to urban areas if a rapid
Other
29%
Forest and 
woodland
5%
Land under 
permanent 
cultivation
1%
Arable land
11%
Permanent 
meadows and 
pastures
54%
Source: 
World Bank: http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTEEI/Data/20859184/Uzbekistan.pdf
Figure 7.1: Land use in 2002

102 
Part III: Environmental concerns in economic sectors and sustainable development
 
 
 
decrease in incomes occurs in the rural areas. Also, so 
as to prevent migration from the rural areas and social
frictions, sustainable development in the agricultural
sector should be given high priority in Uzbekistan.
Uzbekistan’s vast irrigation system was created in the
1960s  and  thereafter.  Cotton  is  the  most  important 
cash  crop,  with  Uzbekistan  still  being  the  world’s
second  largest  cotton  exporter  after  the  United
States. This said, there have been significant reforms
to  favour  the  production  of  wheat  and  other  food 
crops  on  irrigated  land  in  order  to  meet  domestic
demand  by  halving  the  territory  used  for  cotton
cultivation.  The  overall  management  of  irrigated
land  is  facing  new  challenges  in  terms  of  sharing
water with neighbouring countries and the increased
need to manage climate uncertainty. Indicators on the
management  of  rain-fed  agricultural  land,  pastures
and  livestock  breeding  reveal  unsatisfactory  trends.
Overgrazing  is  a  problem  in  much  of  the  livestock
breeding  areas,  causing  the  carrying  capacity  to  be
exceeded  both  in  the  vicinity  of  populated  areas  as 
well  as  in  the  more  remote  extensively  used  lands. 
Reductions in pasture efficiency of 20–25 per cent are
reported in many regions of Uzbekistan, and about 10
million ha of pastures require radical improvements.
Land  reform  is  being  rapidly  developed  and  poses
challenges and opportunities in seeking improvements
and sustainability in the area of land management.
7.2 
Legal, 
regulatory 
and 
institutional 
framework: main developments since 2001
 
Legal and regulatory framework
The 1993 Law on Water and Water Use was amended 
in 2003 and 2007. A new draft law on water and water 
use  is  also  under  preparation  and  addresses,  among
others, the management of water used for irrigation.
Since  about  90  per  cent  of  consumed  surface  water, 
depending on the year and water availability, is used
for irrigation, this law also contains provisions related
to land management and protection. The environment-
related paragraphs of the draft law comprehensively
address  different  aspects  of  protection  measures,  for 
example, by defining water user obligations.
The  1998  Land  Code  was  amended  in  2003,  2004 
and  2007. A  new  land  code  has  been  drafted  and  is 
currently  under  consideration  by  the  competent 
authorities.  The  main  responsibility  for  this  issue 
lies  with  the  State  Committee  on  Land  Resources, 
Geodesy,  Cartography  and  State  Cadastre.  In
comparison  with  the  1998  Land  Code,  the  new 
code  has  a  significantly  greater  number  of  articles
addressing  environmental  issues,  in  particular  land
protection.
The  2000  Law  on  State  Cadastres  refers  to  20 
cadastres  being  created  in  the  country.  The  state
land cadastre realizes the functions of recording and
surveying and the registration of land plot rights. The
1998  Law  on  State  Land  Cadastre  states  that  land 
cadastre  also  includes  land  quality,  soil  appraisal, 
land  cost,  systematization  and  the  holding  and
renewal of land cadastre information. Ownership and 
other  rights  to  plots  of  land,  easements,  limitations
and  the  transferral  and  cessation  of  rights  are  liable
for registration.
The  Law  on  Increasing  the  Soil  Fertility  of
Agricultural  Lands  entered  into  force  in  Uzbekistan
in  2006.  With  regard  to  the  improvement  of
agricultural  land,  the  Presidential  Decree  on  the
Improvement of Irrigated Agricultural Lands entered
into  force  in  October  2007.  The  State  Programme
for  the  Amelioration  and  Improvement  of  Irrigated
Lands  for  2008–2012  focusing  on  the  preparation
and  renewal  of  the  irrigation  infrastructure  supports
the  implementation  of  this  Decree  with  an  annual 
financing of 60 billion sum from the state budget.
The  1993  Law  on  Specially  Protected  Natural 
Territories  was  replaced  in  2004  by  the  Law  on 
Protected Natural Areas (chapter 1).
The Programme of Actions on Nature Protection for
2008–2012 addresses in great detail the management
and protection of water and land resources.
 
Institutional framework
The  Government  made  a  significant  administrative
reform  by  merging  various  entities  responsible  for
land use. In 2004, it established the State Committee 
on  Land  Resources,  Geodesy,  Cartography  and
State  Cadastre  by  merging  the  State  Committee  on
Land  Resources  and  the  Administration  of  Geodesy 
and  Cartography  (for  rural  lands),  the  Bureau  of
Technical  Inventory  (for  residential  buildings)
and  the  State  Cadastre  (for  urban  land  and  non-
residential buildings). The State Committee on Land
Resources, Geodesy, Cartography and State Cadastre
is responsible for the following:
Ensuring  the  implementation  of  state  policy  on
•
the rational use of land resources, regulating land
relations, ensuring land management, monitoring

 
Chapter 7: Land management and protection 
103 
 
land  conservation,  and  improving  soil  fertility
and restoration;
Developing and implementing state programmes
•
to  improve  soil  fertility  and  the  rational  use  and 
protection of land;
Implementing state control over the management
•
and protection of land;
Managing geodetic and cartographic activities;
•
Coordinating  government  agencies  and  public
•
authorities  in  the  area  of  surveys  on  public 
conduct;
Maintaining  state  land  cadastres,  state  maps
•
and  geodesic  inventories,  inventories  of  public
buildings  and  facilities,  as  well  as  a  unified
system of state inventories.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Water Management
is the primary decision-making body for agriculture.
It is responsible for the following:
Developing a unified policy for agriculture, based on
professional knowledge and the effective and rational
use of land, water and forest resources;
Coordinating  activities  to  further  reform  agriculture
and  monitoring  reform  procedures,  restructuring
agricultural  production,  and  providing  practical
assistance  to  the  new  shirkats  (large  agricultural
cooperatives)  and  farmers  in  their  relations  with 
purchase and service organizations;
Developing an effective investment policy;
Promoting modern agro-technologies and establishing
a monitoring system for agricultural production aimed
at increasing export profits;
Considering the structure and volume of agricultural
crops  according  to  the  requirements  of  both
international and domestic markets;
Developing  livestock  breeding,  and  veterinary  and
other services;
Protecting water resources and ensuring their rational
use,  managing  the  state  water  cadastre  and  taking
measures to improve irrigated land.
 
Monitoring land resources
The  responsibility  of  monitoring  land  resources
is  shared  between  several  authorities.  The  State 
Committee  for  Nature  Protection  (SCNP)  is
responsible  for  the  monitoring  of  environmental
pollution sources, including in soil and areas adjacent
to  toxic  chemical  landfills  and  tailing  dumps.
Uzhydromet  (the  Centre  of  Hydrometeorological
Service)  is  responsible  for  monitoring  pollution  on
agricultural  land.  The  Ministry  of  Agriculture  and
Water  Management  gives  recommendations  on
agro-technologies.  The  State  Committee  on  Land
Resources, Geodesy, Cartography and State Cadastre
monitors  land  pollution  and  soil  quality.  In  addition, 
the  State  Committee  on  Geology  and  Mineral
Resources  and  the  Ministry  of  Health  participate 
in  monitoring  within  their  respective  fields  of
responsibility.
The  State  Committee  on  Land  Resources,  Geodesy, 
Cartography  and  State  Cadastre  is  preparing  a
comprehensive  report  on  the  quality  of  irrigated
agricultural  land  by  using  the  formerly  established
and complex bonitet
1
quality indicator (scale 0–100).
The  work  will  be  finalized  in  2013.  The  Atlas  of
Land Resources will be published in 2009 as well as 
the Atlas on Vegetation. A report on the state of land
resources, describing, among others, the quantitative
and  qualitative  conditions  of  soils,  is  published 
annually.
 
International cooperation
Ample 
and 
up-to-date 
information 
on 
land 
management  and  protection  has  been,  and  is  being,
produced  and  compiled  within  the  framework  of 
Uzbekistan’s  work  as  a  party  to  United  Nations
conventions,  namely  the  United  Nations  Convention 
to Combat Desertification in Countries Experiencing
Serious  Drought  and/or  Desertification,  Particularly
in  Africa  (UNCCD),  the  Convention  on  Biological
Diversity  and  the  United  Nations  Framework 
Convention  on  Climate  Change  (UNFCCC).  The
National  Capacity  Self-Assessment  for  Global 
Environmental
Management
of
Uzbekistan
was  finalized  in  2006  and  addressed  all  three
Conventions.
The  assessment  determined  the  priority  capacity 
development  needs  relating  to  global  environmental
management commitments.
Uzbekistan’s National Action Programme to Combat
Desertification  was  adopted  in  1999  and  a  national
report  was  prepared  in  2002.  Since  then,  a  large
number  of  international  cooperation  projects  have 
started,  including  a  project  for  the  implementation
of  the  UNCCD,  within  the  Central  Asian  Countries 
Initiative  for  Land  Management  (CACILM).  The
CACILM partnership involves the five Central Asian
countries  and  the  donor  community  at  large.  The
Asian  Development  Bank  has  a  coordinating  role.
1
 
The bonitet ratio is an indicator of soil fertility, which takes 
into consideration humus content, soil structure, salinity and 
other parameters. 

104 
Part III: Environmental concerns in economic sectors and sustainable development
 
 
 
In  Uzbekistan,  Uzhydromet,  as  the  focal  point  for
the  UNCCD  and  given  that  it  chairs  the  National
Working Group established for the Convention, also
coordinates CACILM cooperation.