[COMPLETED] Unleashing young people's creativity in the Aral Sea region

Unleashing young people’s and vulnerable citizens’ creativity and innovation by strengthening their adaptive capacity to address the economic and food insecurities in the exposed communities of the Aral Sea region

Project summary:

The 2nd call for proposals under the UN Multi-Partner Human Security Trust Fund for the Aral Sea region in Uzbekistan has the thematic focus on “Youth”, “Innovation” and “Health” with significant orientation to address vulnerabilities exacerbated by COVID-19 in the Aral Sea region. 

The Joint Programme aims at increasing the efficiency and innovations in agriculture, promoting smart and digitalized communities, with favorable infrastructures and facilitating active labour market initiatives. The Programme will enhance community development, empowerment of youth aged between 14 and 30, women, and vulnerable groups of people such as people with disabilities, women-headed families, labor migrants, unemployed youth, etc. The proposed Programme will benefit to 183.200 people from pilot districts.

The Programme’s goal and objectives are fully aligned with the policies and strategies of the Government of Uzbekistan on addressing the Aral Sea crises, including the Government Strategy on Five Priority Directions of Development of the Republic of Uzbekistan for 2017-2021, the State Programme on Development of the Aral Sea Region for 2017-2021, and recently adopted Comprehensive Development Programme for Karakalpakstan for 2020-2023.

Expected results:

  • Reduce the vulnerabilities of unemployed, unskilled youth and women and returning migrants through the empowerment and promotion of essential entrepreneurial skills, and youth-led innovations in the region. 
  • Create an enabling environment for income generation for rural communities (with focus to youth and women) through promoting innovative agriculture practices and piloting new agriculture initiatives.
  • Enable the development of smart communities through digitalization, better access to social infrastructure and community engagement with focus on youth, adolescent and women.