Low-income residents of Uzbekistan will be encouraged to create forest and nursery lands as part of government initiatives.

The Uzbek president’s official website says this was announced during a presentation to President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on measures to promote employment and reduce poverty through new approaches.

The program will cover 123 districts across the country, allocating a total of 20,000 hectares of land.  Participants will receive subsidies of 375,000 Uzbek soms (US$29) for every 100 trees planted.  This initiative aims to not only improve the environmental situation but also create new job opportunities for Uzbek citizens, as noted during the presentation.

The measures presented to the president are expected to employ 5.2 million people and lift 1.5 million citizens out of poverty. “For the first time, 60 districts and cities will become territories free from poverty and unemployment,” the Uzbek president’s official website says.

Over 2 million citizens are planned to be engaged in business activities.  To support this, 120 trillion Uzbek soms (US$9.3 billion) in credit funds will be allocated to small business projects.

Additionally, the new poverty reduction strategies include building solar power plants and establishing guesthouses in areas with tourism potential.  By 2025, projects will be implemented in 6,472 mahallas (communities), lifting 210,000 people out of poverty.

In September 2024, President Mirziyoyev declared that poverty reduction would become a nationwide movement.  He emphasized that poverty cannot be eradicated solely through financial aid and subsidies; instead, efforts should focus on equipping people with professional skills and providing employment opportunities.