From News Desk
Climate change has caused temperatures in Uzbekistan to rise nearly three times above the global average over the past sixty years, leading to more frequent droughts, according to a new Atlas of Environmental Change launched by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).
Drawing on six decades of satellite data, the Atlas finds that Uzbekistan’s average annual temperature has already risen by 1.6°C — nearly three times the global average of 0.6°C, with increases of up to between 1.8°C and 2.5°C in the Aral Sea region.
According to the Atlas, Uzbekistan’s lowland areas receive extremely little rainfall and almost all the country is under water stress, contributing to its ranking among the top 20 drought-prone countries worldwide. Meanwhile, the Atlas warns that climate change is expected to further intensify water scarcity. Glacier melt is projected to be severely affected by 2050, meaning reservoirs will be fed with less water. In extremely hot and dry years, river basin runoff in the region can furthermore decline by 25–50%, the Atlas finds — worsening irrigation deficits. Yet policy measures that promote stronger local governance and trans-boundary cooperation, such as integrated water resources management, have proven effective in addressing water management challenges.
“Uzbekistan is dealing with severe water stress, land degradation and an accelerating rise in temperatures that outpaces the global average,” said UNEP’s Europe Office Director, Arnold Kreilhuber. “This Atlas offers crucial data to support the country in building resilience; and in adapting to and mitigating the escalating consequences of the climate crisis.”
“The development of Eco-Atlas comes at a very timely moment. It brings together comprehensive, science-based data on land-water resources, biodiversity, climate change and other key environmental components. This plays an essential role in shaping national environmental protection strategies,” said the Advisor to the President of Uzbekistan on Environmental Issues and Chairman of the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change, Aziz Abdukhakimov. “The Eco-Atlas is not only a technical achievement, but also a major step toward increasing transparency and public access to environmental information and ensuring the public’s free access to key data,” he added.
With 60% of the country’s pastures showing declining productivity, the Atlas emphasises the need to improve pasture management and to develop practices that maintain the health of these lands.
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