The World Bank believes that Uzbekistan does not know how to manage its natural resources. The country's energy consumption per unit of GDP is about three times higher than in Europe and the neighbouring Central Asian states.
The Diplomat writes that Central Asia’s most populous country has to optimize using its non-renewable energy resources, citing a joint report by the World Bank and Uzbek government agencies on the challenges of the country's transition to a green economy.
The republic’s water usage is particularly inefficient. The issue has been constantly exacerbated by deteriorating air quality. And sadly, a significant part of the country's population breathes air which is assessed as unsafe.
Yet, the publication suggests that climate-smart farming practices will further improve the sustainability of land use. In the longer term, the country should away from traditional agriculture and towards more profitable and high-paying sectors.
To this end, it is proposed to retrain part of the workers in the agricultural sector, in particular, the most vulnerable women and youth.
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