Environmental performance reviews united nations

3.6 
Policymaking framework
 
Monitoring and information
Uzbekistan  has  made  significant  progress  towards
the  creation  of  an  integrated  environmental
monitoring  system.  The  2002  Regulations  on  State
Environmental Monitoring set out the scope, purposes
and outputs of state environmental monitoring in the
country  and  specify  the  tasks  and  responsibilities  of 
six  governmental  bodies:  the  SCNP,  Uzhydromet,
the  Ministry  of  Health,  the  Ministry  of  Agriculture
and  Water  Management,  the  State  Committee  on
Geology  and  Mineral  Resources  and  the  SCLR.
Monitoring  activities  should  be  conducted  based  on
a government-approved monitoring programme. The
SCNP  was  made  responsible  for  the  coordination  of 
state  environmental  monitoring,  the  approval  of  a
unified  monitoring  methodology  to  be  followed  by
the relevant government bodies, and for the collection
and evaluation of monitoring data and their delivery
to  decision  makers  and  the  public,  including  in  the
form  of  the  annual  national  state-of-the-environment 
report.
Although  the  state  environmental  monitoring
system  was  expected  to  cover  wildlife  monitoring,
the  Regulations  do  not  establish  responsibilities  to
this  effect.  As  a  result,  biodiversity  and  ecosystem 
monitoring remains underdeveloped in Uzbekistan.
To  better  coordinate  the  implementation  of  the  state 
environmental  monitoring  programme,  the  SCNP
established  an  inter-agency  coordination  council  in
2002. Since 2006, the council has not been meeting;
nonetheless,  the  coordination  continues  at  the 
working level.
To  follow  up  the  Regulations,  the  Government
approved  two  subsequent  monitoring  programmes.
The first programme (for 2003–2005) was approved
in  2003,  the  second  one  (for  2006–2010)  in  2006.
It  would  appear  that  these  subsequent  programmes
represented  a  compilation  of  routine  monitoring
activities by the six governmental bodies responsible
for the state monitoring programme. Activities were
frequently described in a very general form and clear
priorities were not set. Nonetheless, the programmes
demonstrate  the  increase  in  state  budget  allocations
for  environmental  monitoring  in  Uzbekistan.
From  2003  to  2006,  the  annual  allocations  for  such 
monitoring increased from 1,884.6 million to 2,818.8
million  sum  (or  in  current  US  dollars  from  $1.94
million to $2.31 million).
Specific  measures  for  the  development  of  the  state
environmental monitoring programme were included
in  the  state  action  programmes  for  environmental
protection  for  1999–2005  and  2008–2012  adopted 
by  the  Government  in  1999  and  2008,  respectively. 
The  latest  programme  envisages,  for  instance:
(a)  the  procurement  of  equipment  for  monitoring
emission  sources,  the  pollution  of  agricultural  lands
and  groundwater;  (b)  the  preparation  of  specific
biodiversity  studies;  and  (c)  the  development  of  a
centralized  environmental  database  at  the  SCNP
Information  Centre.  It  is  too  early  to  assess  whether 
any progress has been made in these areas.
In  parallel,  the  Government  approved  some 
programmes to strengthen monitoring in areas where
pollution  levels  were  of  particular  concern.  These 
related  to  integrated  observations  of  water  quality
in specific stretches of the of Amu Darya River, the
Kashka Darya River and the Zarafshan River, in areas 
of  the  Surkhandarya  region  that  are  exposed  to  the
transboundary  impact  of  the  Tajik  Aluminium  Plant 
and in the cities of Almalyk and Bekabad.
The  SCNP  issued  several  guidance  documents  to
facilitate the comparability of monitoring results and
information exchange. Nevertheless, a number of gaps
and weaknesses remain, especially gaps in monitoring
coverage,  the  obsolete  nature  of  monitoring
equipment  and  devices,  the  low  reliability  of 
monitoring data, the non-comparability of monitoring
methods  and  procedures  with  internationally  agreed
standards, the lack of a centralized or interconnected
environmental  database,  and,  last  but  not  least,  the 
insufficient use of monitoring results in policymaking
and decision-making.
According  to  the  2000  Law  on  State  Cadastres,  the
Government must establish and continually update 21 
state cadastres, including those on land, surface water,
groundwater,  forests,  flora,  fauna,  protected  natural

 
Chapter 3: Monitoring, information, public participation and education 
51 
 
areas and waste. Data should include quantitative and 
qualitative assessments as well as monetary estimates 
of each resource. Not only is the task overambitious, 
but  its  implementation  is  not  supported  by  staff, 
financing  or  methodological  guidance.  As  a  result,
the  progress  made  in  the  compilation  of  individual
cadastres is rather poor.
The Regional Environmental Action Plan for Central
Asia,  jointly  adopted  by  Uzbekistan  and  other
Central  Asian  States  on  21  September  2001,  listed 
important  objectives  and  short-term  measures  for 
implementation  in  the  period  2002–2007  in  terms 
of  monitoring  and  information.  Uzbekistan  has
made  significant  progress  towards  the  objective
set  in  the  Plan  to  improve  the  emission  monitoring
system  and  the  monitoring  of  surface  water  quality
in  transboundary  rivers  in  Uzbekistan’s  territory.
There  is  no  evidence,  however,  that  Uzbekistan
has  implemented  the  measures  listed  in  the  Plan 
related  to  upgrading  the  system  to  monitor  the
transboundary movement of air pollutants or to set up 
an online information exchange system and computer
databanks.
Following  the  joint  resolution  of  the  Collegiums  of
the  SCNP  and  Uzhydromet  of  28  September  1998
(Resolution  No.  9/1/17),  a  draft  programme  was
prepared  by  both  authorities  in  2000  aimed  at  the 
development and modernization of the monitoring of
atmospheric air and sources of its pollution for 2000–
2005. The overall cost of programme implementation
was  estimated  at  almost  US$  7.5  million. Although
state  financing  was  intended  to  be  the  main  source
of  funding  for  programme  implementation,  the
programme  was  actually  prepared  for  potential
international  donors.  As  no  donor  support  was 
found, the draft programme has not been adopted or
implemented.
 
Public participation
Uzbekistan  adopted  some  legal  and  regulatory
documents promoting the principles of public access
to information, including environmental information.
These  relate  to  the  2002  Law  on  the  Principles  and 
Guarantees  of  Freedom  of  Information,  the  new 
edition of the 2002 Law on the Appeals of Citizens,
and  the  2007  Cabinet  of  Ministers  Resolution  on 
Measures  for  Further  Interaction  of  Public  and  State 
Economic  Management  Bodies  and  Local  Public
Authorities  with  Legal  and  Natural  Persons  using
Information and Communication Technologies.
The  2001  Regional  Environmental  Action  Plan  for
Central  Asia  listed  a  set  of  objectives  according  to
which Uzbekistan and other Central Asian States had
agreed  to  promote  public  access  to  environmental
information  and  public  participation  in  decision-
making  on  environmental  measures.  Some  progress
has  been  made  to  meet  these  objectives.  Great 
efforts are required in areas where no, or only slight,
progress has been made. These relate to the following
objectives:
To  provide  consulting  assistance  with  regard
•
to  implementing  the  basic  provisions  of  the
Convention  on  Access  to  Information,  Public 
Participation  in  Decision-making  and  Access
to  Justice  in  Environmental  Matters  (Aarhus
Convention);
To  involve  the  local  public  in  broad  discussions 
•
when  a  development  project  is  at  the  drafting
stage;
To  involve  the  public  in  discussions  on  draft 
•
laws.
According  to  the  Programme  of  Actions  on
Nature  Protection  (PANP)  for  the  period  2008–
2012,  preparations  are  under  way  in  Uzbekistan
for  accession  to  the  Aarhus  Convention.  Much 
has  to  be  done  in  the  country  to  comply  with  the 
Convention’s  provisions,  especially  those  related  to
public  participation  and  access  to  justice.  Detailed 
procedures  are  lacking  in  current  legislation  and
regulations. Ad  hoc  efforts  by  the  SCNP  and  some
other  public  authorities  to  involve  the  public  in 
decision-making  are  not  systematic  and  as  such  do
not establish a transparent and clear framework.
 
Environmental education
Through  their  Joint  Order  No.  242/33/79  of  7
November  2005,  the  Ministry  of  Higher  and
Secondary  Special  Education,  the  Ministry  of  Public 
Education  and  the  SCNP  adopted  the  Programme
(2006–2010)  and  the  Concept  on  the  Development
of Environmental Education, Training and Retraining
of  Environmental  Manpower,  and  Perspectives  of 
Improving  the  System  of  Professional  Training.
These  authorities  established  the  Coordinating
Council  on  Environmental  Education  and  Education 
for  Sustainable  Development.  The  Council  meets 
regularly  to  promote  efforts  made  by  governmental
institutions and NGOs to implement the programme.
Very  limited  progress  has  been  made  in  the
implementation of the above-mentioned programme.

52 
Part I: Policymaking, planning and implementation 
 
 
Many  specific  actions  established  in  the  programme
have not been implemented, in particular: the drafting
of  a  resolution  for  submission  to  the  Government 
on  the  development  of  continuous  environmental 
education; the creation of an environmental education
information and resource centre; the organization of
a  national  conference  on  environmental  education 
and ESD; the publication of textbooks on ESD; and
the creation of museums of ecology and local lore in
regional centres.
At its meeting of 31 May 2007, the SCNP Collegium
discussed  further  measures  for  the  improvement 
of  environmental  education  in  the  country  and 
considered  a  draft  national  action  plan  for  the 
implementation in Uzbekistan of the UNECE Strategy
for  Education  for  Sustainable  Development  and  the 
United  Nations  Decade  of  Education  for  Sustainable 
Development.  In  particular,  it  decided  to  strengthen
the  environmental  training  centre  at  the  National
University; to develop a programme for training and
retraining environmental experts; to organize training
seminars for the staff of the three public authorities;
and  to  publish  manuals  for  teaching  the  subjects  of
the  environment  and  sustainable  development.  To 
date,  there  is  no  evidence  that  these  decisions  have 
been  implemented. The  national  action  plan  on  ESD 
has not been finalized.
The  PANP  envisages  the  development  of  a  new
concept  on  continuous  environmental  education 
and  ESD;  the  introduction  of  the  requirements
of  the  UNECE  Strategy  for  Education  for
Sustainable  Development  into  the  State  Standard 
on  Environmental  Education;  the  publication  of  an
information  and  analytical  review  of  environmental 
education  in  Uzbekistan;  and  the  publication  of
environmental  textbooks  and  manuals  for  preschool 
education  institutions,  schools,  vocational  training
institutions and universities.
3.7 
Conclusions and recommendations
Uzbekistan  made  significant  progress  towards  the
creation  of  an  integrated  environmental  monitoring
system.  The  SCNP  coordinates  the  monitoring
activities  of  six  public  authorities  under  the  state 
monitoring  programmes.  However,  the  inter-agency
coordination  council  has  not  met  since  2006.  While 
Uzbekistan substantially improved the monitoring of
pollution  sources,  the  urgently  needed  progress  was
not  made  in  developing  its  ambient  environmental
monitoring  networks.  Network  density  far  from
meets  the  requirements  of  national  monitoring
regulations.  The  concentrations  of  a  number  of
pollutants  identified  by  the  international  community
as  being  the  most  harmful  to  human  health  and  the
environment  are  not  measured.  Biodiversity  and 
ecosystem  monitoring  remain  underdeveloped  in
Uzbekistan. The country does not have an integrated
or interconnected environmental electronic database.
Recommendation 3.1:
The  State  Committee  for  Nature  Protection,  in 
coordination  with  other  government  bodies  and 
with  the  assistance  of  the  inter-agency  coordination 
council on environmental monitoring, should:
(a) 
Enlarge  the  environmental  monitoring 
networks in an optimal way to meet the requirements 
of monitoring regulations;
(b) 
Increase  the  number  of  parameters 
measured,  in  particular  PM
2.5
,  PM
10
,  volatile 
organic  compounds,  polyaromatic  hydrocarbons 
and persistent organic pollutants in ambient air, and 
additional biological parameters in water;
(c) 
Switch gradually to automatic measurement, 
and  improve  data  quality  control  and  storage 
procedures;
(d) 
Make  the  monitoring  of  biodiversity  an 
effective part of the state monitoring programme; 
(e) 
Establish  an  integrated  environmental 
database at the State Committee for Nature Protection 
which  should  be  interlinked  with  the  environmental 
databases  of  the  other  public  authorities  operating 
environmental monitoring programmes.
Although Uzbekistan continues to apply most former
USSR  ambient  environmental  standards  (MACs),
it  has  either  formally  reapproved  them  as  national 
standards, or slightly revised or reissued them. There
is  no  inter-agency  coordination  for  consultation  in
Uzbekistan  when  reviewing,  developing  or  revising
MACs. As  a  result,  there  is  a  disparity  between  the 
nominal  MACs  and  their  actual  implementation 
(compliance).  Since  a  number  of  Uzbek  standards
are below the detection threshold, it is impossible to 
know  whether  or  not  they  are  being  implemented.
Owing  to  budget  limitations,  many  pollution
parameters  that  should  be  measured  according  to
monitoring standards are not routinely monitored.
Recommendation 3.2:
The  Ministry  of  Health,  jointly  with  the  State 
Committee  for  Nature  Protection,  should  review  the 
list  of  maximum  allowable  concentrations  (MACs) 
to  limit  substantially  the  number  of  regulated 
parameters  to  those  that  can  be  measured,  to  the 

 
Chapter 3: Monitoring, information, public participation and education 
53 
 
extent  possible,  and  to  make  the  MACs  consistent 
with international standards and guidelines.
The  SCNP  regularly  publishes  a  national  report  on
the  state  of  the  environment  and  the  use  of  natural 
resources  and  a  report  presenting  the  results  of
emission  and  discharge  monitoring.  The  reports  are
largely  descriptive  and  do  not  follow  the  UNECE
Guidelines  for  the  Preparation  of  Indicator-based 
Environment Assessment Reports in Eastern Europe, 
Caucasus  and  Central  Asia  endorsed  at  the  sixth 
Environment  for  Europe  Ministerial  Conference 
(Belgrade,  2007).  Uzhydromet,  the  Ministry  of
Health,  the  Ministry  of  Agriculture  and  Water
Management  and  the  State  Committee  on  Geology
and  Mineral  Resources  publish  the  environmental 
data  that  they  collect  for  a  limited  number  of  public 
authorities  only.  The  State  Committee  on  Statistics 
does not publish a regular statistics compendium on
the  environment. A  limited  number  of  environment-
related  data  are  published  in  the  national  Statistical 
Yearbook, which is distributed as a sales publication 
only.
Recommendation 3.3:
The  Centre  of  Hydrometeorological  Service 
(Uzhydromet),  the  State  Committee  on  Statistics, 
the  Ministry  of  Health,  the  Ministry  of  Agriculture 
and  Water  Management  and  the  State  Committee 
on  Geology  and  Mineral  Resources  should  make 
the environmental data that they collect and process 
easily  accessible  to  the  public  by  uploading  data 
sets  and  their  easy-to-read  interpretations  on  their 
websites,  while  considerably  increasing  the  number 
of  copies  of  their  current  environment-related 
publications  for  wide  circulation  throughout  the 
country  and  launching  new  ones,  such  as  a  freely 
accessible  annual  compendium  of  environmental 
statistics.
These public authorities and the State Committee for 
Nature Protection should use the UNECE Guidelines 
for  the  Preparation  of  Indicator-based  Environment 
Assessment  Reports  in  Eastern  Europe,  Caucasus 
and Central Asia endorsed at the sixth Environment 
for Europe Ministerial Conference (Belgrade, 2007).
Uzbekistan  adopted  some  legal  and  regulatory
documents promoting the principles of public access
to information, including environmental information.
The  Law  on  State  Ecological  Expertise  and  the
Cabinet of Ministers Resolution on the Regulations on
State Ecological Expertise restrict public participation
in  the  environmental  impact  assessment  of  proposed 
activities,  plans  and  programmes.  Legislation  does
not provide for public participation in the issuing of
environmental  permits  in  Uzbekistan.  Preparations
are  under  way  in  Uzbekistan  towards  accession  to
the Aarhus  Convention.  Much  has  to  be  done  in  the 
country to comply with the Convention’s provisions,
especially  those  related  to  public  participation  and 
access  to  justice.  Ad  hoc  efforts  by  the  SCNP  and 
some other public authorities to involve the public in 
decision-making  are  not  systematic  and  as  such  do
not establish a transparent and clear framework.
Recommendation 3.4:
The  State  Committee  for  Nature  Protection  and 
the  Ministry  of  Justice,  in  cooperation  with  the 
representatives of civil society, should continue their 
work  to  introduce  mechanisms  and  requirements  of 
the  Convention  on  Access  to  Information,  Public 
Participation  in  Decision-making  and  Access 
to  Justice  in  Environmental  Matters  (Aarhus 
Convention)  in  the  national  legislation  and 
regulations  to  make  them  clear,  transparent  and 
consistent.
Uzbekistan adopted the Programme (2006–2010) and
the  Concept  on  the  Development  of  Environmental 
Education, Training and Retraining of Environmental
Manpower,  and  Perspectives  of  Improving  the
System  of  Professional  Training.  However,  many
specific  actions  established  in  the  programme
have  not  been  implemented.  The  national  action 
plan  for  the  implementation  in  Uzbekistan  of  the
UNECE  Strategy  for  Education  for  Sustainable
Development has been under preparation since 2006. 
The  environmental  training  of  civil  servants  is  not
consistent or systematic.
Recommendation 3.5:
The  Ministry  of  Higher  and  Secondary  Special 
Education  and  the  Ministry  of  Public  Education, 
in  cooperation  with  the  State  Committee  for  Nature 
Protection  and  other  stakeholders,  including  non-
governmental  organizations  and  the  mass  media, 
should:
(a) 
Speed  up  the  finalization  of  the  national 
action plan  for  the  implementation in Uzbekistan  of 
the  UNECE  Strategy  for  Education  for  Sustainable 
Development;
(b) 
Review  the  composition  of  the  Coordinating 
Council on Environmental Education and Education 
for  Sustainable  Development  by  raising  the  level  of 
representation and involving all stakeholders to make 
the Council an effective instrument for implementing 
the Strategy.

 
 
55 
 
Chapter  4
IMPLEMENTATION OF INTERNATIONAL
AGREEMENTS AND COMMITMENTS
4.1 
General framework for international  
cooperation
 
Political and legal framework
The  basic  principles  of  international  environmental 
cooperation  are  defined  in  Uzbekistan’s  foreign
policy, which embraces the principles of adherence to 
the norms of international law.
The 2008 Programme of Actions on Nature Protection
for  2008–2012  provides  the  most  recent  framework 
for international environmental cooperation, which is 
closely  linked  to  regional  environmental  protection.
It aims to meet the commitments contained in ratified
multilateral  environmental  agreements  (MEAs),  to
participate  in  international  programmes  and  projects
dealing  with  nature  protection,  and  to  foster  inter-
State  cooperation  aimed  at  minimizing  the  negative
impacts generated by transboundary pollution and the
development  of  mechanisms  for  the  rational  use  of 
natural resources in border areas and water basins.
It  must  be  kept  in  mind  that  the  1992  Constitution 
recognizes  in  its  preamble  the  “priority  of  the
generally  accepted  norms  of  international  law”,
which  may  also  include  non-treaty  obligations. This
may  lead  Uzbekistan  to  take  steps  to  comply  with
the  international  norms  embodied  in  environmental 
treaties to which it is not a party.
 
Institutional framework
The State Committee for Nature Protection (SCNP),
the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Management,
the  Ministry  of  Foreign  Economic  Relations,
Investments  and  Trade,  the  Ministry  of  Culture  and 
Sports and the Centre of Hydrometeorological Service
(Uzhydromet) are the executing agencies of the major
MEAs ratified by Uzbekistan. Table 4.1 summarizes
the distribution of these governmental bodies in terms
of the MEAs in question.