Development of high-resolution geospatial database and interactive web platform for the Restoration of degraded lands in the lower Aral Sea basin

The project, implemented in the lower Aral Sea basin of Karakalpakstan, supports one of Uzbekistan’s key initiatives for socio-economic and environmental revitalization in a region severely affected by land degradation, salinization, and climate stress. Its objective is to restore degraded landscapes, improve agricultural and pastoral livelihoods, strengthen public health, and enhance biodiversity through the development of a high-resolution geospatial database and an interactive web platform for evidence-based planning and monitoring. The initiative includes detailed spatial analysis of vegetation, soil, water resources, land degradation, settlement exposure, and climate trends to guide the selection of restoration sites and climate-resilient species, including halophytes and productive non-timber forest species such as licorice and rosehip. All intervention areas were validated through close coordination with regional institutions and local stakeholders.

Rahmanov Partners was commissioned to deliver comprehensive geospatial, analytical, and capacity-building services for the project, including the development of vegetation classification maps based on Sentinel-2 time series, soil-type mapping using national and global datasets, and water-accessibility analysis integrating local hydrological information and remote-sensing sources. The team conducted long-term assessments of vegetation dynamics, desertification hotspots, and bare-soil expansion using MODIS, Landsat, and Sentinel-2 archives, while settlement exposure was evaluated using ESA WorldCover and WorldPop data. Climate-trend analysis based on CMIP6 projections and historical datasets informed adaptive restoration planning.

An interactive Google Earth Engine web platform was developed to consolidate all spatial layers, enabling visualization, analysis, and reporting for project implementation and monitoring. A comprehensive user guide was prepared, and technical training sessions were conducted in Tashkent and Nukus to strengthen institutional capacities in QGIS, remote sensing, and digital-platform management. Field missions were organized to collect ground-truth data for classification validation and to provide hands-on training in spatial analysis and data interpretation.

Through this project, Rahmanov Partners demonstrated its expertise in geospatial analytics, climate-resilient restoration planning, digital-platform development, and institutional capacity strengthening, contributing to more effective, transparent, and sustainable land-restoration efforts in Karakalpakstan.