Cooperation between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan in the field of ecology and environmental protection continues to demonstrate dynamic development and the strengthening of strategic interaction built on trust, mutual understanding and a shared commitment to ensuring environmental security in Central Asia.
The partnership between the two countries in the environmental sphere is supported by a strong legal framework. The foundation for their joint activities was laid by the Intergovernmental Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of Environmental Protection and Rational Use of Natural Resources, signed on 2 June 1997. A renewed agreement, signed on 22 December 2022 and entering into force on 20 November 2024, has given new impetus to bilateral cooperation. Within the framework of this agreement, the Uzbek–Kazakh Joint Working Group on Environmental Protection and Water Quality in the Syrdarya River Basin operates effectively. The group conducts regular data exchanges, joint monitoring of the river’s condition and reciprocal expert visits. The planned participation of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in this platform will further expand regional cooperation and enhance the effectiveness of environmental monitoring in the Syrdarya Basin.
One of the significant milestones was the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation on Wildlife Conservation on the Ustyurt Plateau between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan in February 2024, on the sidelines of the CMS COP-14 Conference in Samarkand. Turkmenistan later joined the initiative, underscoring its multilateral nature. The first meeting of the parties took place in March 2025 in Astana, where the Roadmap of Actions for 2025–2030 was approved.
Bilateral contacts have also been actively developing in other areas. In recent years, numerous high-level visits have taken place, including the participation of ministers in international forums and congresses, meetings of the Interstate Commission on Sustainable Development of the IFAS, as well as exchanges of experience in afforestation and combating desertification.
In the area of transboundary issues, ecology remains a domain of constructive cooperation. For instance, earlier appeals from the Kazakh side regarding the municipal solid waste landfill in Keles (Tashkent region) were promptly resolved — the landfill was remediated and closed.
Long-term environmental cooperation has also been accompanied by mutual recognition of achievements. On 13 November 2024, the Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Kazakhstan, Yerlan Nyssanbayev, was awarded Uzbekistan’s badge of honor “Protector of Nature” (Tabiat himoyachisi) — a symbol of high trust and respect for the joint work carried out.
Beyond bilateral cooperation, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan are also active promoters of multilateral environmental initiatives.
Among the key documents is the Memorandum on the Management and Protection of the Transboundary UNESCO World Heritage Site “Western Tien-Shan,” signed in 2019 by Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. In 2021, during the Glasgow Climate Conference, a Memorandum on the Conservation of the Snow Leopard and Its Ecosystems in the Western Tien-Shan and Pamir-Alai Mountains was signed.
A landmark achievement was the inclusion of the “Temperate Turan Deserts” (Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan) in the UNESCO World Natural Heritage List during the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee held in Riyadh in September 2023.
Regional environmental initiatives are also supported through platforms such as the SCO, IFAS, CAREC and the Blue Peace Central Asia program. Joint statements developed by the countries of the region have been repeatedly presented at major global climate platforms, including COP-28 in Dubai.
Of particular significance was the opening in February 2024 of the Central Asian University of Environmental and Climate Change Studies (Green University), which has become a new center for training specialists in ecology and sustainable development.
In 2025, both countries continued active exchanges of experience and ideas, including participation in the Eco Expo Central Asia exhibition in Tashkent, the meeting of Central Asian Ministers of Ecology in Aktau, and international forums in Almaty and Pavlodar.
All these efforts share a single goal — a sustainable future for the region cannot be achieved without joint action.
Thus, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan are demonstrating an example of effective and results-oriented cooperation based on mutual respect, strategic vision and shared responsibility for preserving the natural heritage. Their bilateral and multilateral initiatives form a solid foundation for further strengthening environmental security in Central Asia, where each joint decision contributes to the region’s shared green future.
Makhmud Khaydarov,
Chief specialist Department of international cooperation
and rankings of the Ministry of Ecology,
Environmental Protection and Climate Change