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ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE Committee on Environmental Policy ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE REVIEW UZBEKISTAN UNITED NATIONS New York and Geneva, 2001 Environmental Performance Reviews Series No. 14 NOTE Symbols of United Nations documents are composed of capital letters combined with figures. Mention of such a symbol indicates a reference to a United Nations document. The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. UNITED NATIONS PUBLICATION Sales No. E.02-II-E.5 ISBN 92-1-116801-5 ISSN iii ___________________________________________________________________________ Preface The Environmental Performance Review of Uzbekistan began in May 2000 (first preparatory mission) followed by a second preparatory mission in December 2000, during which the final structure of the report was established. Thereafter, the review team of international experts was constituted. It included experts from Armenia, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Poland and the Russian Federation together with experts from the secretariat of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the European Centre for Environment and Health of the World Health Organization (WHO/ECEH). The review mission took place from 26 March to 6 April 2001. A draft of the conclusions and recommendations as well the draft EPR report were submitted to the country for comments in August 2001. In September 2001, the draft was submitted for consideration to the Ad Hoc Expert Group on Environmental Performance. During this meeting, the Expert Group discussed the report in detail with representatives of the Uzbek Government, focusing in particular on the conclusions and recommendations. The EPR report, with suggested amendments from the Expert Group, was then submitted for peer review to the UNECE Committee on Environmental Policy at its eighth annual session in Geneva on 25-26 September 2001. A high-level delegation from the Government of Uzbekistan, including the Chairman of the State Committee for Nature Protection, participated in the peer review. The Committee adopted the recommendations as set out in this report. The review of Uzbekistan’s environmental performance is evidence of the efforts that the Government of Uzbekistan is making towards overall improvement of environmental management, including the development and implementation of new national legislation adapted to European standards. However, this process is restrained by the difficult economic situation in the country as it attempts to move toward a market economy. Attention was given during the reviews to a number of issues, and especially to those related to agriculture and irrigation, the use and quality of water resources, energy, economic instruments and financing, integration and the policy framework. The report stresses that the environment should become a priority issue and an area of fruitful cooperation among all ministries and other key partners that have competencies and responsibilities in environmental protection and management. The UNECE Committee on Environmental Policy and the UNECE review team wish the Government of Uzbekistan success in carrying out the tasks before it to meet its environmental objectives and policy, including implementation of the recommendations aiming at the support and promotion of overall environmental protection and improvement of living standards. UNECE would also like to express its deep appreciation to the Governments of Denmark, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom for their support to the Environmental Performance Review Programme and to the European Centre for Environment and Health of the World Health Organization (WHO/ECEH) for its participation in the Uzbekistan review mission and the preparation of this report. vi LIST OF TEAM MEMBERS Ms. Mary Pat SILVEIRA (ECE secretariat) Team Leader Mr. Ivan NARKEVITCH (ECE secretariat) Project Coordinator Mr. Jyrki HIRVONEN (ECE secretariat) Introduction Ms. Irina KRASNOVA (RUSSIAN FEDERATION) Chapter 1 Ms. Mijke HERTOGHS (ECE secretariat) Chapter 2 Mr. Harry LIIV (ESTONIA) Chapter 3 Mr. Janusz ZUREK (POLAND) Chapter 4 Mr. Joachim SCHÜETTER (GERMANY) Chapter 5 Mr. Ivan NARKEVITCH (ECE secretariat) Mr. Ivan NARKEVITCH (ECE secretariat) Chapter 6 Mr. Jan Gerrit TESINK (DENMARK) Chapter 7 Ms. Stella SATALIC (CROATIA) Chapter 8 Ms. Karin REQUIA (BRAZIL) Chapter 9 Ms. Nuneh DARBINYAN (ARMENIA) Chapter 10 Mr. Slav SLAVOV (ECE secretariat) Chapter 11 Ms. Francesca RACIOPPI (WHO/ECEH) Chapter 12 Ms. Bettina MENNE (WHO/ECEH) Chapter 12 The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. In particular, the boundaries shown on the maps do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations. The preparatory mission for the project took place from 5 to 6 May 2000 and from 11 to 12 December 2000. The review mission was organized from 26 March to 6 April 2001. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................................................................1 – 6 I.1 Geography ...........................................................................................................1 I.2 Population and social conditions .........................................................................1 I.3 Administrative, institutional and legal structures ...............................................3 I.4 Economic development .......................................................................................3 I.5 Natural resources ................................................................................................4 I.6 Selected environmental problems .......................................................................5 I.7 International cooperation and environment ........................................................5 PART I: THE FRAMEWORK FOR ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND MANAGEMENT Chapter 1: Legal instruments and institutional arrangements for environmental protection ............................................................................................9 - 20 1.1 The legal framework for environmental protection ............................................9 1.2 Policy objectives and implementing institutions ..............................................13 1.3 Environmental education ..................................................................................17 1.4 Scientific research in environmental protection ...............................................17 1.5 Conclusions and recommendations ..................................................................18 Chapter 2: Instruments for environmental protection ................................................................21 - 32 2.1 Macroeconomic background ............................................................................21 2.2 Regulatory instruments for environmental protection ......................................21 2.3 Economic instruments for environmental protection ........................................23 2.4 Financing environmental expenditures .............................................................27 2.5 Conclusions and recommendations ..................................................................30 Chapter 3: Economic development and environmental management tools ...............................33 - 40 3.1 Economic policy and development ...................................................................33 3.2 Liberalization as a path towards sustainable development ...............................34 3.3 Privatization and the environment ....................................................................35 3.4 Public investment programme ..........................................................................37 3.5 Conclusions and recommendations ..................................................................39 Chapter 4: International cooperation ...........................................................................................41 - 53 4.1 General objectives for international cooperation ..............................................41 4.2 Global cooperation ...........................................................................................43 4.3 Regional cooperation in the framework of UNECE .........................................45 4.4 Other regional and subregional cooperation .....................................................46 4.5 Bilateral cooperation .........................................................................................48 4.6 Internationally funded projects .........................................................................49 4.7 Conclusions and recommendations ..................................................................50 vi PART II: MANAGEMENT OF POLLUTION AND OF NATURAL RESOURCES Chapter 5: Water resources management ....................................................................................57 - 68 5.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................57