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Empowering and nurturing leadership skills of youth through climate action education in Uzbekistan Project
Project summary:
This three-year joint initiative by UNDP, the “Education Above All” Foundation (EAA-Qatar), and Ministry of Pre-school and School Education of the Republic of Uzbekistan aims to equip 1.3 mln school students and youth across the Republic of Karakalpakstan, Bukhara, Navoiy, Khorezm, Samarkand, Kashkadarya and Surkhandarya regions with climate knowledge, leadership capacities and “green” skills.
By integrating climate change education into the formal school curriculum and training 50,000 teachers, the project ensures that every student gains access to interactive learning tools. This will help students explore key climate change topics, build understanding of climate science, adaptation and mitigation strategies, environmental sustainability, and practical actions individuals and communities can take to address climate crisis.
Concurrently, the project establishes a network of 800 Young Green Ambassadors who, together with other youth in their communities, co-design and implement 48 community-led climate actions —ranging from planting drought-resilient species in Moynak to launching sustainable aquaculture initiatives.
Finally, in partnership with 12 vocational training centers, the project offers two specialized courses to 4,000 young people – one on renewable energy and the other on climate-smart agriculture. These courses help improve job prospects while promoting low-carbon livelihoods. The project also emphasizes gender balance, with at least 48%women participation, and uses digital tools to enhance learning. Overall, the project supports Uzbekistan’s commitments under the Paris Agreement, the National Green Economy Strategy, and contributes to global goals on quality education, clean energy, decent work, and climate action (SDGs 4, 7, 8 and 13).
Main objectives:
The project’s ultimate goal is to build a capacity of 1,3 mln. school students (15-18 y. o.) and youth (19-24 y. o.) through climate education and green skills, thereby empowering them to contribute to greener, more resilient, and more sustainable future of Uzbekistan. In addition, the project aims to strengthen the resilience of rural communities by engaging 800 youth in greening their communities and acquiring two new green skills to promote green development agenda in the country.
The project has three interconnected outcomes:
Component 1: Greening Education: climate change education is mainstreamed in all the upper secondary schools with developed curriculum, prepared teachers to target 1,3 mln. students at the national level of Uzbekistan. Specific expected outputs include:
1. 1,3 million school students aged 15–18 (at least 48% girls) received climate education through the enhancement of existing subjects by integrating climate issues and embedding the Climate Box toolkit into the curriculum
2. 50,000 teachers received training in climate pedagogy, participatory methods and digital/AI tools.
Component 2: Youth Empowerment & Action: 800+ youth from schools and communities are empowered to take actions that improve their communities’ resilience, adaptation, and mitigation to climate challenges from seven regions of the country. Specific expected outputs include:
1. 800 Young Green Ambassadors are equipped to lead community resilience projects.
2. 48 youth-driven initiatives implemented, including 100 ha of drought-tolerant afforestation and four aquaculture pilot sites.
3. At least 20 peer-exchange visits among schools to share best practices and scale innovations.
Component 3: Green Skills Development: 4,000 Youth in rural areas are upskilled to access opportunities in the green economy. Specific expected outputs include:
1. 12 Monomarkaz – vocational training centers modernized with ICT and teaching materials in Uzbek, Karakalpak and Russian.
2. Two vocational courses launched, with 4,000 youth trained in renewable energy and climate-smart agriculture.
3. 100 youth participated in job fairs, and internships in green-sector employers from agriculture and renewable energy sector.
The project will pursue synergy among these three outcome components.
All components work in cohesion: school-based climate education builds awareness; Young Green Ambassadors translate knowledge into grassroots actions; and vocational green skills ensure economic pathways sustain resilience. Participatory planning workshops engage women, youth and persons with disabilities in every community (mahalla). Climate-smart, gender-responsive solutions and digital tools integrate curricula, community action and vocational training. Component 3 institutionalizes participatory governance and sustainable infrastructure oversight, ensuring long-term local ownership.
Expected results:
The Project will contribute to the institutionalization of climate-related knowledge in public education and vocational training systems, enhance green skills among rural youth, and strengthened community resilience to climate change impacts. By mainstreaming climate education, engaging youth, and fostering a bottom-up approach to climate action, the project aims to contribute significantly to Uzbekistan’s commitments under the Paris Agreement and its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
