Uzbekistan and Belgium: New Opportunities for “Green” Cooperation

Uzbekistan continues to actively strengthen international environmental cooperation, focusing on the exchange of experience, the introduction of modern technologies and the search for sustainable solutions to protect the environment. In this context, Belgium is viewed as a promising partner — a country with extensive expertise in sustainable natural resource management and green innovation.

The first step toward this cooperation was the participation of a delegation from the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change of Uzbekistan in the Regional Forum of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), held in October 2024 in Bruges, Belgium. The forum served as a platform for exchanging ideas and discussing potential areas of collaboration between experts from both countries.
Belgium is widely recognized as one of Europe’s leaders in waste management, resource recycling and the implementation of circular economy principles. This experience is of particular interest to Uzbekistan, where modern approaches to waste management and green energy development are being actively introduced.
Special attention is also being given to water resource management. Both countries face water scarcity challenges and Belgium’s experience in managing transboundary rivers such as the Scheldt and the Meuse may serve as a valuable model for improving water use systems and water quality monitoring in Uzbekistan.
Another important area of cooperation is science and education. Central Asian University of Environmental and Climate Change Studies (Green University) aims to build partnerships with leading Belgian universities, including KU Leuven, Ghent University, the University of Liège and the University of Antwerp. These institutions rank among the world’s top universities in environmental sciences and research, creating vast opportunities for academic exchange, joint research, and collaborative educational programs.
Furthermore, Belgian partners have been invited to participate in the 20th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES CoP20), which will take place in Samarkand from 24 November to 5 December 2025, as well as in the Eco Expo Central Asia 2026, scheduled for June 2026.
Partnership with Belgium can give new momentum to Uzbekistan’s environmental initiatives, bringing in innovative approaches and supporting the implementation of joint projects in the fields of climate action, biodiversity conservation, and the green economy. Together, these efforts mark an important step toward a more sustainable and environmentally secure future.

Makhmud Khaydarov,
Chief specialist Department of international cooperation
and rankings of the Ministry of Ecology,
Environmental Protection and Climate Change