The Minister of Ecology, Environmental Protection, and Climate Change, Aziz Abdukhakimov, met with Norio Saito, the Senior Director of the Water Resources and Urban Development Sector at the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
During the meeting, which took place as part of the 21st session of the UN Committee on Combating Desertification and Drought, Aziz Abdukhakimov highlighted the effective collaboration with the Asian Development Bank.
For information, Uzbekistan ranks second in the region with 17% of ADB's projects in Central and West Asia being implemented in the country.
The meeting addressed important issues such as comprehensive city development, capacity building in the field of ecology, and attracting Japanese waste management companies to Uzbekistan.
In turn, Norio Saito proposed initiating the second phase of the "Sustainable Solid Waste Management" project for 2025-2026. He also expressed support for the reforms implemented by the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection, and Climate Change based on public-private partnerships.
At the end of the meeting, Norio Saito highly praised Uzbekistan's work in the areas of ecology, environmental protection, combating drought and hunger. It was also emphasized that ADB is ready to continue cooperation in these directions.
Mutual collaboration was also supported in terms of attracting leading waste management companies to Uzbekistan, attracting investments in the sector from the Asian Development Bank, granting funds, and enhancing the qualifications of the ministry's personnel and affiliated organizations.
The project will be implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change and the Republican Center for the Organization of Sanitary cleaning works.
For information, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed with the Ministry of Ecology of Japan on December 23, 2022. According to the memorandum, cooperation between the parties is strengthened in the areas of climate change, water and air pollution, and waste management.
