LocationsIntegrated Climate Solutions Are Transforming Lives in Uzbekistan’s Aral Sea Region
May 19, 2026
Karakalpakstan, 19 May 2026 - The Aral Sea region faces a complex combination of interconnected challenges, including environmental degradation, water scarcity, declining agricultural productivity, limited access to essential services, and heightened vulnerability to climate change. In response to these challenges, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), jointly with the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, is implementing the project “Enhancing the Resilience of Local Communities and Promoting Green and Inclusive Development in the Most Vulnerable Communities of the Aral Sea Region” with financial support from the Government of the Russian Federation. The project applies an integrated, multi-sectoral approach that simultaneously addresses food security, water access, climate adaptation, job creation, and economic inclusion for vulnerable groups.
This comprehensive model recognizes that isolated interventions cannot deliver lasting impact in a region where livelihoods, ecosystems, and social wellbeing are deeply interconnected. Instead, sustainable development depends on coordinated solutions that improve multiple dimensions of community life at once.
One of the project’s key priorities is the development of greenhouse farming to strengthen food security, support climate adaptation under conditions of water scarcity, and generate income for smallholder farmers. More than ten energy-efficient greenhouses equipped with water-saving irrigation systems have already been installed across pilot districts.
Farmer Atazhan Nurzhanov in the “Abat” citizens’ assembly of Kegeyli district, where limited irrigation water during the growing season previously made stable harvests difficult. With project support, the farm installed a 489-square-meter energy-efficient greenhouse that now produces around five tonnes of cucumbers and other vegetables annually, improving both household income and local food supply.
“Previously, we were completely dependent on weather conditions and water availability in the canal. Now, with the greenhouse and drip irrigation, we can plan production and count on a stable harvest,” said Atazhan Nurzhanov.
Alongside greenhouse farming, the project is introducing water-saving technologies in open-field agriculture. In Karauzyak district, the delegation visited the “Hasylly” farm, where a portable sprinkler irrigation system was installed on 13.6 hectares of land in an area with limited irrigation access. The technology reduced water consumption by 50 percent while increasing crop yields by 20 percent.
Improving access to safe drinking water is another critical dimension of the project’s work. The delegation visited a reconstructed desalination station in the rural settlement of Kuralpa, Karauzyak district, where outdated infrastructure from the 1990s could no longer meet the needs of the growing community. Guided by priorities identified through community consultations, the project supported the full modernization of the station, including the installation of new purification equipment with a capacity of 16 cubic meters per hour and the construction of 11.8 kilometres of water pipelines.
As a result, 1,520 residents — half of whom are women — now have access to safe drinking water that meets sanitary standards.
Livestock production also plays a vital role in local food systems and rural incomes across Karakalpakstan. To support sustainable productivity growth, the project partnered with the Institute of Veterinary Medicine to introduce science-based cattle feeding practices and provide fodder production equipment to the “Aryslan Sharua” farm in Kegeyli district. These measures increased livestock productivity by 40 percent. At the same time, the project is supporting the restoration of eight hectares of degraded pastureland using methodologies developed by the Federal Scientific Centre of Agroecology of the Russian Federation.
Beyond agriculture, the project is also helping expand rural entrepreneurship and local agro-processing. In Kanlykul district, the delegation visited a mini-bakery owned by entrepreneur Umit Seitova, where project support enabled business expansion and strengthened local food value chains. The initiative created stable full-time jobs for women, contributing to household incomes while ensuring reliable food supply for the community.
“This is more than just a business. We provide fresh bakery products to the entire community, and now two women have stable jobs close to home,” said Umit Seitova.
These and many other results have been noted by the two monitoring missions led by Mr. Yuri Boychenko, Counsellor of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Uzbekistan. During the first visit in October 2025 the delegation reviewed support to agricultural cooperatives, modernization of laboratory equipment for sanitary and epidemiological services, and testing of water-saving rice varieties. Since then, the project has expanded its reach, providing access to clean water for more than 4,300 residents in remote communities and creating hundreds of jobs – which was witnessed by the second monitoring mission in May 2026.
The project demonstrates how strategic partnerships can deliver practical solutions to the interconnected environmental and socio-economic challenges facing the Aral Sea region. Through climate-smart agriculture, improved water access, and support for sustainable livelihoods, the initiative is contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and helping build a more resilient future for local communities.
About the Project
The project “Enhancing the Resilience of Local Communities and Promoting Green and Inclusive Development in the Most Vulnerable Communities of the Aral Sea Region” is jointly implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, and UNDP, with financial support from the Government of the Russian Federation.
