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0IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GENERAL NATIONAL PROJECT "YASHIL MAKON" ON THE TERRITORY OF A NEWLY CREATED RESIDENTIAL AREA OF JARKURGAN DISTRICT OF SURKHANDARI REGION
1Talipov Kh., 2 Faizullaev U.
1,2Consultants for the joint project: UNDP/Ministry of Environment/UNECE/UNHCR "Master planning and innovative financial solutions to support the implementation of the Yashil Makon
Initiative of the Republic of Uzbekistan" https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14002162
Abstract. The article provides information on the soil and climatic conditions and the results of the implementation of the "Yashil Makon" project on the territory of the newly created residential area of the Jarkurgan district of the Surkhandarya region.
Keywords: sandy desert, sand and dust storms, yashil makon, creation of a green belt, hydrogel, humus, slurry, Eldar pine, elm, mulberry, saxaul, drip irrigation.
Introduction
Surkhandarya region, located on the border with Afghanistan, is faced with numerous and potentially serious consequences of the current situation. Severe sand and dust storms have significant and complex socio-economic impacts on human health, agriculture, industry, transport, water and air quality.
To combat the negative impacts of climate change, in November 2021, the Government of Uzbekistan launched an initiative called "Yashil Makon" to green cities and towns. This nationwide greening initiative has been added to the National Development Strategy "New Uzbekistan" for 2022-2026 and provides for the expansion of green spaces through the annual planting of 200 million trees and thereby increasing the percentage of greening areas from the current 8 percent to 30 percent by 2030. To support this governmental initiative "Yashil Makon" and address the above-mentioned challenges and risks, the United Nations Development Programme in Uzbekistan (UNDP), the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) jointly launched a new project on master planning and innovative financial solutions to support the implementation of the Yashil Makon Initiative of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
The purpose of the research: The main purpose of the research was to study the possibility of creating a green belt in the desert zone, in conditions of shifting sands and severe soil and climatic conditions of the Surkhandarya region.
Objects and methods of research: The object is located in the Jarkurgan region, among sandy deserts, where a new residential area called "New Uzbekistan" is being created, where in order to protect the infrastructure from sand filling, 4 hectares of forest crops were planted with drip irrigation and 85 hectares of saxaul were sowed and planted to fix the sand.
The condition of forest crops was studied using the methods adopted in forestry and a description was prepared of the conditions of growth, survival, preservation, as well as the growth and development of planted forest crops.
Results: Surkhandarya region is located in the southern part of the Republic of Uzbekistan at 370 and 390 north latitude, and at 680 and 670 east longitude. The regional center is the city of Termez.
It is surrounded on three sides: from the north by the Zeravshan mountain range, from the west by Mount Kugitang and from the east by the Bobotaga mountains, and on the southern side flows the Amu Darya River, which belongs to the desert region.
Desert region: consists of a steppe-desert lowland, which includes the southern part of the Kumkurgan region, Bandykhan, Kyzyryk, Dzharkurgan, Sherabad, Muzrabad, Angorsk and Termez regions.
The climate is sharply continental. The annual precipitation is 170-200 mm. The main amount of annual precipitation (52%) falls in the winter, and 37% in March and April. There is practically no precipitation in summer and autumn. The air humidity is very low, and the amount of evaporation is very high. The average annual air temperature is + 16.2-18 0C, the average daily temperature is +36-38 0C, the maximum temperature is +46.9-50.0 0C. In winter, the lowest temperature reaches -20 0C. The air drought in the summer months lasts 45-50 days, at this time there are harmsels, i.e. strong dry winds. The total useful temperature is +2704-3056 0C.
The soils of the steppe-desert zone in areas close to filtration waters are prone to salinization, they are characterized by a low humus content, a high content of gypsum and carbonate salts. Since the soils of the steppe region are not rich in humus, they are very light in mechanical composition and quickly compact when salinized. For this reason, agriculture in this region requires the use of modern effective methods of crop rotation and soil cultivation.
The pilot area is the Kara Yantak microdistrict, located in the Jarkurgan district, among the sandy deserts, where a residential area called New Uzbekistan is being created. Several multi-story buildings have been built. Construction continues. (Pictures 1, 2, 3 and 4)
Pictures 1 and 2. Residential area being created at the "Kara Yantak" site in Dzharkurgan
district
Picture 3. Shifting sands near the residential Picture 4. Map of the pilot area (blue color-area "New Uzbekistan" Saxaul planting, green color - planting of
irrigated crops)
This residential area is located on the path of the wind called "Afghan" and therefore needs to create a protective green belt. The soil here is sandy with a light mechanical composition, at the slightest wind they are sprayed and carried to the environment. The district khokimiyat has resolved the issue of electricity supply, a well has been drilled for irrigation of 4 hectares of garden around the residential area. Considering that this area is completely sandy, furrows were cut with a plow and planting holes were prepared in the middle. Before planting, imported soil, humus and hydrogel were added to the holes. The site, in the period from December 11-13, 2022, on an area of 2 hectares and in the period from February 10-25, 2023, on an area of 2 hectares, seedlings of Eldar pine, elm and mulberry were planted. These tree species are more resistant and adapted to growing on sandy soils, and are also drought-resistant. (Table 1)
Table 1: Planting of seedlings on the territory of the pilot site
№ Name of the Purp Area of Planted Planting Consumption
pilot site ose of selected assortment of scheme, of planting
planti plot, ha trees m material,
ngs pieces
3 «Microdistrict Green 4,0 Mulberry 3х4 710
"New belt Elm 3х4 1060
Uzbekistan" Eldar 3х4 1060
(Karayantak) Pine
of Zharkurgan
district
Total 4,0 2830
During the visit on March 16-18, 2023, the plantings were in good condition, with a survival rate of over 95%. In the area, only a few Eldar pine trees showed up to 10 percent damage to the needles on the windward side and they turned yellow from low winter temperatures, but young shoots and growth buds remained green. Given the rapid onset of spring and the increase in air temperatures at the beginning of March, the project workers had to assist
the khokimiyat in urgently organizing watering with water trucks. As a result, the plants recovered and new needles grew. With the beginning of the growing season, a drip irrigation system was installed and the plantings were watered in a timely manner during the summer. By the fall of 2024, the survival rate of Eldar pine and elm was almost 90 percent, while that of mulberry was slightly less, within 75-80 percent, the trees reached 2-2.5 meters in height, and gave 30-40 cm of growth. (Pictures 5 and 6)
Picture 5. Eldar pine plantings in the Picture 6. Inspection of pine planting by residential are "New Uzbekistan" international experts
The adjacent lands around the residential area "New Uzbekistan" are represented exclusively by sand formations in the form of small sand ridges and dunes, vegetation is almost absent. (Pictures 7 and 8)
Picture 7. Furrows cur for planting Saxaul on Picture 8. The process of planting saxaul on shifting sands shifting sands
Therefore, it was necessary to create a protective "Green Belt" in this area to strengthen the shifting sands. The basis for this was a small area of growing saxaul forest along the road, which interested us and therefore it was decided to plant saxaul here.
This work experience served as the basis for creating a protective "green belt" of black saxaul in this area. At the same time, initially at the end of December, on an area of 60 hectares, furrows were cut with a single-body plough every 4 meters to a depth of 30-35 cm perpendicular to the prevailing winds and dense deep plantings of one-year-old saxaul seedlings were carried out along the bottom of the furrows according to the scheme of 4 x 1 meter, at the rate of planting 2500 seedlings per 1 hectare of area, with simultaneous scattering of black saxaul seeds in the inter-rows of plantings with harrowing from the surface of the sand with a "zigzag" harrow or tree branches in order to embed the seeds at a shallow depth at the rate of 5-6 kg of seeds per 1 hectare. When planting, the roots of the seedlings were dipped in a "liquor" prepared from a
mixture of humus, soil and hydrogel with water, to create conditions for high survival, better growth and development of the planting material. The selection of a dense planting scheme is explained by the fact that the conditions here are more severe, characterized by high aridity and dry air in the summer and the likelihood of plant loss is high. (Table 2).
The second stage of planting in an area of 25 hectares began from February 10 to 13, 2023 after abnormal cold weather using the same technology. Planting materials were brought from the Bukhara region. In addition, experimental saxaul plantings were laid separately on an area of 4 hectares under the guidance of teachers of the Termez branch of the Tashkent State Agrarian University in various options using different technologies, where observations were carried out and the best options were identified.
Table 2: Planting seedlings and sowing saxaul seeds on the territory of the pilot site
№ Name of pilot Purpo Area of Planted Consumption
site se of selected assortment of Planting of planting
landi plot, trees scheme, materials,
ngs ha m pieces
Microdistrict of Green 85,0 Saxaul 4x1 215000
the New belt Saxaul(Seeds) 4x1 420 kg
Uzbekistan
under
construction
near the village
of "Korayantok"
in the
Zharkurgon
district
Total 85,0 215000 420 kg
When visiting the site on March 16-18, 2023, for the purpose of monitoring the work performed, the condition was assessed as good. During the inspection, it was found that the saxaul seedlings began to germinate, and shoots from sowing seeds also appeared, individual beds and planted seedlings were covered with sand. Repeated monitoring of the condition of the planted crops in September 2024, it was found that the plants took root well, the safety was within 80-85%, depending on the growing conditions, the height of the plants reached from 0.71.5 meters, individual specimens were 2 meters or higher.
Experimental plantings on the experimental plot in four types showed that high survival and growth of plants was observed on the plot where humus and hydrogel were added to the planting pits, and on the plots where these preparations were not used, survival was 50-55%, and the average height fluctuated within 0.5-1.0 meters. It should be noted that in both cases positive results were achieved, with the main role played by the time of planting, since planting and sowing were carried out during the period of precipitation, in a short time, in compliance with the agricultural technology of creation (Pictures 9 and 10)
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Pictures 9 and 10. Planting seedlings and sowing of saxaul seeds in December 2022 in a residential area in the Dzharkurgan district; exposed shifting sands turned into a green oasis
Similar plantings carried out in March and April 2022 and 2023 near the construction site did not yield results, since the plantings were carried out after the spring rains with a great delay, while humus and hydrogel were not added to the soil, and the root system of the plants was not dipped in the "liquid (liquid manure)" during planting.
Conclusions:
1. In the desert zone of the Surkhandarya region, when sowing seeds and planting saxaul seedlings on bare sands before and during precipitation, with the introduction of necessary nutrients (humus, hydrogel) into the soil, and in the irrigated desert zone with timely organization of irrigation using a drip irrigation system, it is possible to successfully create forest crops from Eldar pine, elm and mulberry.
2. Taking into account this positive experience, in order to protect populated areas from the influence of drying prevailing winds, from the rise and transfer of sand and dust storms from adjacent desert areas, within the framework of the Yashil Makon project, it is possible to create a protective green belt on the territory of the Termez, Angorsk, Zharkurgan and Muzrabat districts on an area of about 1,500 hectares along the Amu Darya River and to fix sand on an area of more than 100 thousand hectares of adjacent territory.
