Uzbekistan has imposed administrative fines totaling UZS 115bn ($9.1mn) on individuals and entities found guilty of violating environmental laws, according to the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change.
The State Environmental Control Inspectorate, in coordination with law enforcement agencies, conducted over 3,500 raids between 2023 and May 2025. As a result of these efforts, more than 110,000 individuals were identified as violators of ecological legislation. Preventive measures were applied to over 250,000 enterprises and citizens, and damage to the environment worth UZS 32bn ($2.5mn) was filed in lawsuits, of which UZS 66bn ($5.2mn) have been recovered.
During this period, the ministry also inspected 5,439 business entities with prior notification to the Business Ombudsman. These inspections uncovered 3,433 instances of legal non-compliance, leading to administrative action against 1,738 officials. In addition, 4,669 mandatory instructions were issued to address environmental violations, and the operations of 245 enterprises were temporarily suspended pending compliance.
Authorities calculated an additional UZS 322.3bn ($25.6mn) in compensation for environmental damage and UZS 60.3bn ($4.7mn) for environmental pollution.
Efforts to address environmental crimes have also gained momentum. Following the May 31, 2023 Presidential Decree, a new department was created under the Prosecutor General’s Office to oversee the enforcement of laws related to ecology and forestry. Over the past three years, 429 criminal cases involving damage worth UZS 982bn ($77.9mn) have been submitted to the prosecutor’s office, with 275 cases leading to criminal proceedings.
To further strengthen environmental protection, Uzbekistan plans to establish a new agency focused on expanding forest areas and combating desertification. State forestry enterprises will double the supply of seedlings, while the Yashil Makon (Green Nation) electronic platform will be upgraded to enhance transparency. A new monitoring system will also be introduced to track trees and shrubs planted as compensation for illegal logging activities.
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