Looking into Uzbekistan’s Rural Development

Sustainable development moves with the spirit of leaving no one behind, yet around the world, people in rural areas often struggle to access water, electricity, and other basic needs. Their challenges may also depend on various local contexts, and so do the solutions. In Uzbekistan, what efforts are underway to support rural development?

Uzbekistan’s Rural Challenges

Uzbekistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia with an estimated population of 37 million. Nearly half of them live in rural areas. World Bank data shows that the country has halved its poverty rate from 36% in 2015 to 17% in 2022. Despite this significant progress, people living in Uzbekistan’s rural areas still face many struggles.

For instance, the growth in wheat production in Uzbekistan comes at the cost of land degradation, water pollution, and vulnerability in the agriculture sector. Rural women also lack the ownership to manage land, which further hinders agricultural productivity. Additionally, young people struggle with a lack of necessary skills and opportunities to secure employment.

Climate change also compounds these challenges. Climate-induced droughts and disasters, combined with unsustainable water management, lead to water scarcity. Without interventions, the country will suffer from water shortages of 15 billion cubic meters by 2050.

Rural Development with Local Participation

In 2022, Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Economy and Finance and the United Nations Development Programme launched a joint project to address accessibility and infrastructure issues in Uzbekistan’s rural areas. Under the Sustainable Rural Development project, they aim to improve access to electricity, water, healthcare, and education, as well as provide road and other infrastructure repair.

During the first phase, the project formed 40 clusters of Community Development Plans, with the active participation of local communities. These plans branched into roadmaps for implementing 895 subprojects to build infrastructures across four regions.

One example is the installation of propane air conditioners in rural medical points in the Aral Sea region, which has long suffered from dust storms caused by the drying up of the lake. At the same time, the air conditioner system reduces carbon emissions, which is important in the context of the ongoing climate crisis. A training session on air conditioner maintenance was also conducted to enable participation and agency from local communities.

The project also facilitates training sessions for digital transformation. “Thanks to the project, 54,190 local residents gained digital access to government services. Furthermore, eight rural schools were provided with new IT resources, including 128 computers and interactive smart boards, unlocking new opportunities for the younger generation,” said Akiko Fujii, UNDP Resident Representative in Uzbekistan.

Leaving No One Behind

At the end of 2024, the project launched its second phase, covering 157 communities across 21 districts in three regions. Training sessions were conducted involving women and people with disabilities to formulate suitable actions for each community’s unique context.

Ultimately, the sustainable development of rural areas and their people must center on the lived experience and insight of the local communities to ensure effective and meaningful progress that leaves no one behind.

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