29 August 2025, Tashkent, Uzbekistan – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Government of Uzbekistan are strengthening their collaboration to conserve and sustainably manage the nation's vital forests and protected areas. A recent FAO mission to the country from 18 to 23 August 2025 reviewed three potential national parks to serve as a model for innovative conservation practices.

This initiative is part of the “Improving Biodiversity and Sustainable Forestry” project, a three-year regional effort implemented under the FAO-Türkiye Forestry Partnership Programme (FTFP). The project aims to build national and regional capacities, share knowledge and showcase innovative field practices to protect Central Asia's rich natural heritage.

The mission kicked off in Tashkent with high-level meetings to fortify partnerships. FAO met with the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) to discuss enhancing collaboration and TİKA’s potential contributions to field activities and knowledge sharing. This was followed by a productive meeting with the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan, where officials exchanged national strategies and priorities in environmental protection. Both meetings emphasized a shared commitment to joint action for sustainable natural resource management.

“Central Asia’s rich biodiversity is under threat due to deforestation, overgrazing and climate change”, the project notes, underscoring the urgency of these efforts. By fostering regional collaboration, the project will play a crucial role in climate change mitigation and adaptation.

A key focus of the mission was the assessment of three candidate sites for pilot implementation: Zarafshan National Park, Zaamin National Nature Park and Pap National Nature Park. Following the field assessments, one of these protected areas will be selected to demonstrate cutting-edge management practices that integrate biodiversity conservation, community engagement and the sustainable use of natural resources.

The selected site will not only contribute to enhancing Uzbekistan’s protected area management system, but also serve as a regional model, sharing valuable lessons across Central Asia and beyond. The initiative aims to create a dynamic regional network to accelerate conservation efforts.

About the FAO-Türkiye Partnership Programmes

The objectives of the FAO-Türkiye Partnership Programmes are to provide support to ensure food security, rural poverty reduction and sustainable forest management; combat desertification; and preserve ecosystems in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Türkiye, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, and other countries of mutual interest.

Established in 2007, the first phase of the FAO-Türkiye Partnership Programme on Food and Agriculture (FTPP) has benefited from trust fund contributions totalling USD 10 million, financed by the Government of Türkiye and represented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. During the first phase of the programme, 28 projects were implemented in 16 countries between 2009 and 2015.

In 2014, Türkiye and FAO commenced the second phase of the FTPP along with the first phase of the FAO-Türkiye Forestry Partnership Programme (FTFP) with additional funding of USD 20 million, bringing Türkiye’s total contribution to USD 30 million.

Available at: