Environmental Impact Assessment (ZVOS) for the Rehabilitation of Degraded Lands in the Lower Aral Sea Basin

The project, financed by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the European Union (EU), aims to rehabilitate 38,000 hectares of degraded land across eight districts of Karakalpakstan, one of the most environmentally vulnerable regions of Central Asia. Its objective is to restore vegetation cover, reduce dust and salt storms, and improve the ecological and social conditions of communities affected by the desiccation of the Aral Sea. The initiative includes the creation of protective green belts, development of agroforestry systems, and the establishment of a Training and Resource Center in Nukus to build long-term institutional capacity.

Rahmanov Partners was commissioned to prepare and coordinate the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ZVOS) for all project components, ensuring full alignment with Uzbekistan’s Resolution No. 541 (2020) and Presidential Decision PQ-51 (2025), as well as with international environmental and social safeguard standards. The assignment included field diagnostics, geospatial mapping of all project polygons, baseline environmental analysis, and organization of public hearings in each district to ensure transparency and stakeholder participation.

The ZVOS process concluded that all project components are environmentally sound and socially beneficial, with only minor, localized impacts during construction. The documentation received positive validation from the State Ecological Expertise (GEE), confirming compliance with national regulations.

Through this project, Rahmanov Partners demonstrated its expertise in environmental assessment, climate resilience, GIS-based monitoring, and institutional capacity development, contributing to one of Uzbekistan’s flagship programs for sustainable land restoration in the Aral Sea Basin.