Turning the tide: how Uzbekistan can tackle its water crisis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15706852Keywords:
urban development, deforestation, environmental policy, public space, sustainability, Tashkent, participatory planning.Abstract
This study explores the environmental implications of economic development in Tashkent, focusing on the
widespread removal of urban trees as a result of infrastructure expansion and real estate pressure. Utilizing qualitative
content analysis based on secondary data from 2020–2024, the paper identifies key drivers behind urban deforestation,
including modernization efforts and weak regulatory enforcement. It emphasizes the ecological and social consequences
of such development and calls for the institutionalization of participatory planning and legally binding environmental
protection measures to ensure sustainable urban growth
References
Daryo.uz. (2024). Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Ecology restricts Tashkent Environmental Agency amid tree cutting concerns.
Retrieved from https://daryo.uz/en/2024/01/04/uzbekistans-ministry-of-ecology-restricts-tashkent-environmentalagency-
amid-tree-cutting-concerns
Times of Central Asia. (2024). Uzbekistan’s “Plant 100 Saplings” Initiative: A green response to illegal tree felling.
Retrieved from https://timesca.com/uzbekistans-plant-100-saplings-initiative-a-green-response-to-illegal-tree-felling/
Gazeta.uz. (2023b). Residents protest tree cutting linked to metro expansion. Retrieved from https://www.gazeta.uz/
en/2023/09/18/tree-protest
Kun.uz. (2023a). “Moratorium on tree-cutting will be extended and the responsibility will be sharply strengthened” –
President. Retrieved from https://kun.uz/en/98981713
Issanova, G., Abdrakhmanov, R., & Sopiyerov, Y. (2021). Urban ecological challenges in Almaty: The cost of growth.
Environmental Earth Sciences, 80(11), 441.
Issanova, G., Abuduwaili, J., & Ospanova, S. (2021). Urban sustainability challenges in Central Asia: Balancing growth
and green space. Environmental Research Letters, 16(4), 045003. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abefc7
Nowak, D. J., Hirabayashi, S., Bodine, A., & Greenfield, E. (2010). Tree and forest effects on air quality and human
health in the United States. Environmental Pollution, 193, 119–129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2014.05.028
JSTAGE. (2023b). Urban heat island effects in arid cities: The role of vegetation in Central Asia. Retrieved from https://
www.jstage.jst.go.jp/
JSTAGE. (2023c). Urban vegetation loss and rising temperatures in Central Asian cities. Retrieved from https://www.
jstage.jst.go.jp
UNDP. (2023b). Urban green spaces and sustainable development in Uzbekistan. United Nations Development
Programme. Retrieved from https://www.undp.org/uzbekistan
Khamidov, D., & Tulyaganov, O. (2022). Environmental indicators and health impacts of urban tree removal in Tashkent.
Uzbekistan Journal of Ecology, 34(2), 87–95.
Khamidov, Z., & Tulyaganov, B. (2022). Social impacts of green space reduction in Tashkent: A sociological perspective.
Central Asian Journal of Social Research, 5(2), 22–35.
The Guardian. (2025a). Cosmic metros, UFO circus tops and a 3,000C sun gun: The mesmerising architecture of
Tashkent. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2025/apr/28/cosmic-metros-ufo-circus-topsmesmerising-
architecture-tashkent
The Guardian. (2025b). Modernization vs. conservation: The tree-cutting dilemma in Tashkent. Retrieved from https://
www.theguardian.com/
The Guardian. (2025c). Tashkent’s transformation: A model for progress or a warning on green loss?. Retrieved from
https://www.theguardian.com/tashkent-green-loss
Daryo.uz. (2023a). Business ignores moratorium on tree-cutting and exterminates 35 trees in Tashkent. Retrieved from
Bio-conferences.org. (2025). Challenges of urban environmental management in Central Asia. Retrieved from https://
www.bio-conferences.org/articles
Bio-conferences.org. (2025). Environmental governance in Central Asian cities: Policy gaps and civic action. Retrieved
from https://www.bio-conferences.org/
Bio-conferences.org. (2025). Tree inventory analysis using AI and GIS in Uzbekistan. Retrieved from https://www.bioconferences.
org/articles/bioconf/pdf/2025/24/bioconf_afe2024_01043.pdf
JSTAGE. (2023a). Green spaces for summer cooling: Case study of Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Retrieved from https://www.
jstage.jst.go.jp/article/irspsd/12/2/12_9/_html/-char/en
Gentile, M. (2018). Post-Soviet urban development and the legacy of socialist planning. Urban Geography, 39(4),
–590. https://doi.org/10.1080/02723638.2017.1382300
Nagendra, H. (2016). Nature in the city: Bengaluru in the past, present, and future. Oxford University Press.
Tan, P. Y., Wang, J., & Sia, A. (2020). Perspectives on five decades of ecological greening in Singapore. Urban Forestry
& Urban Greening, 52, 126703. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2020.126703
Gazeta.uz. (2023a). Requiem for the Amir Temur square: Witness statements. Retrieved from https://www.gazeta.uz/
en/2023/11/13/amir-temur-square-felling-in-2009/
Kun.uz. (2023b). Construction boom leads to tree loss in central districts. Retrieved from https://kun.uz/en/2023/08/22/
tree-loss
Kun.uz. (2023c). Land privatization and the environmental cost of Tashkent’s development boom. Retrieved from
UNDP. (2023a). Greening the city: A pathway to sustainable urban life in Uzbekistan. United Nations Development
Programme. Retrieved from https://www.undp.org/
ScienceDirect. (2023a). Green infrastructure and climate resilience in arid urban regions. Retrieved from https://www.
sciencedirect.com
Daryo.uz. (2023b). Environmental protests intensify over tree felling in Tashkent. Retrieved from https://daryo.uz/
en/2023/12/10/environmental-protests-tashkent
Daryo.uz. (2023c). Public outrage grows over tree cutting in Tashkent neighborhoods. Retrieved from https://daryo.uz/
Daryo.uz. (2023d). Tashkent’s Environmental Agency under review amid deforestation criticism. Retrieved from https://
daryo.uz/en/2023/11/15/tashkent-agency-review
ScienceDirect. (2023b). Urban ecological resilience in post-Soviet cities: Challenges and adaptive strategies. Retrieved
from https://www.sciencedirect.com/
Aslanov, I., Mukhtorov, U., Mahsudov, R., Makhmudova, U., Alimova, S., Djurayeva, L., & Ibragimov, O. (2021). Applying
remote sensing techniques to monitor green areas in Tashkent Uzbekistan. E3S Web of Conferences, 258, 04012.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 YASHIL IQTISODIYOT VA TARAQQIYOT

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.