GREEN PROJECTS WITHIN INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

This article examines green projects implemented within international cooperation frameworks as a key mechanism for strengthening environmental protection in Uzbekistan. It systematizes the roles of major international programs and institutions—including UNDP, GEF, GCF, GGGI, the World Bank, the EU LIFE Programme, and ADB—by outlining their thematic priorities and ongoing national projects. The study highlights how external technical, financial, and institutional support contributes to Uzbekistan’s green transformation through land degradation neutrality, water-awareness initiatives, climate-resilient infrastructure, renewable energy expansion, and improved waste management. Particular attention is paid to diversified financing models (grants, concessional loans, and innovative instruments such as green bonds/green sukuk) and to coordination mechanisms that enhance project governance, monitoring, and reporting. The findings emphasize that adapting international best practices to local climatic, infrastructural, and socio-economic conditions increases effectiveness and ensures measurable ecological outcomes, including reduced CO₂ emissions, improved water-use efficiency, expanded protected areas, and strengthened environmental monitoring capacities. Overall, international green cooperation is presented as both an environmental policy tool and a strategic element of Uzbekistan’s sustainable development and environmental diplomacy.