“MILLIY IQTISODIYOTNI ISLOH QILISH VA BARQAROR RIVOJLANTIRISH ISTIQBOLLARI”
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36
•
It is necessary to understand the value of nature and incorporate this value
into public and private decisions, as nature provides numerous benefits. This is
one of many ways to assess the role and importance of nature.
•
Investments in nature today
—
whether for restoration or for the
management of protected areas
—
will contribute to financial savings and long-
term economic growth.
References
1.
https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/futurewewant.html.
2.
https://sdgs.un.org/publications/future-we-want-outcome-uncsd-2012-rio20-17503.
3.
A. G. Tansley. The use and abuse of vegetational concepts and terms / A. G. Tansley //
Ecology.
–
1935.
–
№ 3. –
Vol. 16.
–
P. 284-307.
4.
R. Carson. Silent Spring / R. Carson. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Reprinted, 1961.
5.
B. Commoner. The closing circle: Nature, Man, and Technologу. New York, 1971.
6.
R. Costanza (ed). Ecological economics: the science and management of sustainability. -
Columbia University Press, New York.
–
1991.-
рр. 8
-9.
7.
H.E. Daly. Beyond growth. The economics of sustainable development. Boston, 1996.
8.
Norgaard (1984). Coevolutionary development potential // Land Economics. 60 (2) pp.
160-173.
9.
RJ.C.J.M. van der Bergh. Ecological economics and sustainable development: Theory,
methods and application. Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, 1996.
ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROBLEMS
OF THE ARAL SEA
Yuldashev Shamsiddin Kiyamiddinovich
Samarkand State University,
Faculty of Human Resource Management
Associate Professor of Sectoral Economics,
Candidate of Economic Sciences
Vohidov Javohir Bahodir Ògʻli
Samarkand State University
Student of the Faculty of Human Resource Management
Uzbekistan faces a number of environmental and socio-economic problems
related to the overuse of natural resources, air and water pollution, and climate
change. One of the major environmental disasters is the drying up of the Aral Sea.
The Aral Sea is the former fourth largest lake in the world, located on the
territory of modern Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Until the 1960s, the Aral Sea had
an area of about 68 thousand square kilometers. It was supported by water from
two large rivers - the Amu Darya and Syr Darya. In the middle of the 20th century,
large-scale diversion of water from these rivers for irrigation of cotton fields in
Central Asia began. From that moment on, the rapid reduction of the sea's water
surface began.
“MILLIY IQTISODIYOTNI ISLOH QILISH VA BARQAROR RIVOJLANTIRISH ISTIQBOLLARI”
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This was the result of ill-considered human policy towards the environment
and the use of natural resources, which led to an unprecedented impact on the
environment.[1]
About 35 million people living in the Aral Sea basin were affected by one of
the largest environmental disasters in human history. Over the past 40-45 years,
the level of the Aral Sea has dropped by 22 meters, and its water area has
decreased almost four times, the volume of water has decreased ten times, and
the salt content has reached 70 grams per liter. As a result, the Aral has
practically turned into a dead sea. The sea has divided into several independent
bodies of water, and by the nineties of the last century, in many places it has
retreated from its shores by a distance of up to 150 kilometers. Tens of millions
of tons of salty fine dust and toxic salt, sand rise from the bottom of the sea every
year, forming salt-dust clouds that are carried over colossal distances. The
number of fish living in the sea, which once numbered about 20 species, has
catastrophically decreased - a crushing blow was dealt to the local fishing
industry, which employed about 60 thousand people. Villages and fishing farms
ended up tens of kilometers from the edge of the sea. Many fishing families were
forced to abandon their homes and move to other regions, to other bodies of
water.
Socioeconomic consequences
• Collapse of the fisheries economy: Before the drying
up, the Aral Sea was
an important fishing center, providing the region with food resources and
employment. With the disappearance of fish, thousands of people lost their jobs.
• Population migration: Due to the deterioration of environmental
conditions, many residents of coastal areas were forced to leave their homes,
which led to depopulation and worsening of the economic situation in the region.
Due to the drying up of the Aral Sea, a total of 3 million hectares of land in
Uzbekistan have degraded. In general, our country has the highest proportion of
degraded land among the Central Asian states. This problem affects 9.3 million
people to one degree or another - almost a third of the population.
The national economic significance of the Aral Sea is great for the countries
adjacent to its basin. The economic efficiency of irrigated agriculture in the Amu
Darya and Syr Darya basins is significantly higher than, for example, in the Volga
basin. The loss of economic potential of fisheries and the complete impossibility
of sea transportation led to the closure of all enterprises specializing in fisheries
and shipbuilding, and subsequently to high unemployment and labor outflow.
The results of Uzhydromet forecasts show that by 2050 the volume of river
flow in the Amu Darya River basin will decrease by 10-15% and the Syr Darya by
2-5%. The number of low-water years and the number of years with drought will
increase with a loss of flow to 25-40%, which will cause a sharp increase in
demand for water and aggravation of water deficit. At the same time, it will be
necessary to increase irrigation standards by 5% by 2030, by 7-10% by 2050 and
by 12-16% by 2080. If the demand for water is not met, this can cause losses in
“MILLIY IQTISODIYOTNI ISLOH QILISH VA BARQAROR RIVOJLANTIRISH ISTIQBOLLARI”
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agricultural crops, which, given the population growth, will pose a serious risk
to food security and hinder sustainable development. To solve the
environmental and socio-economic problems of the Aral Sea and the Aral Sea
region, a comprehensive approach is required, including both international and
national measures to restore the ecosystem and improve living conditions for
the population in the affected regions.[2]
Here are some key areas that can contribute to a solution:
1. Rational use of water resources
The main reason for the drying up of the Aral Sea is excessive water
withdrawal for irrigation. To solve the problem, it is necessary to:
• Optimize the irrigation system. Modern technologies, such as drip
irrigation and more efficient use of water, can reduce losses and reduce the load
on the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers.
• Red
uce the cultivation of water-intensive crops, such as cotton, in favor of
less water-intensive agricultural plants. This will reduce water consumption in
agriculture.
2. International cooperation
The Aral Sea problem requires cooperation among Central Asian countries,
since the region's water resources are distributed among several states.
Important steps include:
• Establishing and strengthening interstate organizations for water
management at the level of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya basins.
•
Developing long-term strategies for distributing water between countries,
taking into account the interests of all participants and environmental
requirements.
3. Ecosystem restoration and greening
To combat the effects of drying out, it is necessary to:
•
Green the Aralkum desert. Programs for planting trees, such as saxaul, help
to stabilize the soil and reduce the number of dust storms.
• Reintroduce fish species to the remaining water bodies, which contributes
to the partial restoration of fisheries and economic activity.
4. Monitoring and scientific research
It is important to constantly monitor the state of water resources and the
ecosystem of the region. This will help to more effectively plan and implement
restoration projects. Joint scientific research can offer new solutions for
improving the environmental situation.
5. Social and economic support
Along with environmental measures, social and economic support is needed
for the population of the affected regions:
• Creation of new jo
bs that do not depend on fishing and agriculture.
• Development of infrastructure and improvement of living conditions to
prevent mass migration from the region.
“MILLIY IQTISODIYOTNI ISLOH QILISH VA BARQAROR RIVOJLANTIRISH ISTIQBOLLARI”
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• Educational programs on ecology and rational use of natural resources for
the population.
International financing and support
Many of the proposed solutions require significant financial investments.
International organizations such as the World Bank and the UN Development
Program are already providing assistance. Increased funding and attraction of
new donors could accelerate the implementation of environmental and
infrastructure projects.[3]
A complete restoration of the Aral Sea to its former boundaries is unlikely,
but significant improvements in the environmental situation and living
conditions can be achieved. The key steps remain rational management of water
resources, international cooperation, restoration of the ecosystem and social
support for the population of the region.
List of references
1. Mednikov A. The end of the ice age. A global environmental catastrophe was predicted
for
Central
Asia
//
Lenta.ru.
2014.
November
15.
URL:
https://lenta.ru/articles/2014/11/15/glacier/ (date of access: 01.03.2023).
2. Sokolov V. I. The Impact of Climate Change on the Aral Sea Basin: A View from Uzbekistan
// Adaptation to Climate Change: Experience of Central Asia. Tashkent: Scientific Information
Center of the Interstate Water Commission of Central Asia, 2016. Pp. 4
–
29. URL:
http://www.cawater-info.net/library/rus/cc-adapt-ca-exp.pdf (date of access: 01.03.2023).
3. Tolstykh V. L. Central Asia and International Law: Factors, Problems, Prospects // Law.
2022. No. 8. Pp. 42
–
59.
GREEN FISCAL REFORMS AND TAXONOMY: DRIVING UZBEKISTAN’S
SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH
Yuldasheva Madina Tohir qizi
PhD Candidate, 1st Year, Research Center "Scientific Bases and
Issues of Economic Development Uzbekistan” under TSUE
Several reforms are currently being implemented to support Uzbekistan's
sustainable economic growth strategy and its transition to a green economy.
Presidential Decrees No. PF-60 (January 28, 2022) and No. PF-158 (September
11, 2023) under the "Uzbekistan - 2030" strategy set out a number of goals aimed
at ensuring sustainable development across the economic, environmental, and
social spheres, and outline the tasks necessary to achieve them. The main
directions of these strategies include:
1.
Enhancing the green economy and energy efficiency: By 2026, the energy
efficiency of the economy is set to improve by 20%, with electricity production
increasing by 30 billion kWh to a total of 100 billion kWh. The share of renewable
