BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 4. The Government of
Uzbekistan, in partnership with the International Union for
Conservation of Nature (IUCN), has officially launched the
preparatory phase of the Nature4Health Uzbekistan initiative,
advancing the primary prevention of future pandemics, Trend reports via the
National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change.


The launch marks Uzbekistan’s formal participation in the second
phase of the Nature4Health (N4H) program as a partner country and
establishes a structured multilateral process aimed at
strengthening the environmental dimension of the One Health
approach.


The initiative is designed to address the growing scientific
consensus that more than 70% of emerging infectious diseases are
zoonotic in origin and are increasingly linked to environmental
degradation, land-use change, and rising human–wildlife
interaction.


“Investment in nature is investment in public health, pandemic
prevention, and sustainable development,” said Dr. Grethel Aguilar,
Director General of IUCN. She noted that Uzbekistan could serve as
a regional model for integrating nature, health, and sustainability
policies.


The preparatory phase will focus on Karakalpakstan, a region
heavily affected by desertification, biodiversity loss, and the
long-term ecological consequences of the Aral Sea crisis. Officials
said the region represents a critical area where environmental
degradation is increasing risks at the interface of human,
livestock, and wildlife systems.


Deputy Minister of Ecology Zhusipbek Kazbekov said Uzbekistan
faces rising challenges including desertification, biodiversity
loss, water scarcity driven by climate change, and expanding zones
of human–wildlife interaction. He emphasized that addressing
environmental drivers of disease is a matter of national security
for arid and semi-arid countries.







The initiative will be implemented under the coordination of the
the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Central
Asia Office, Uzbekistan’s National Committee on Ecology and Climate
Change, and relevant national institutions, alongside international
and local partners. The process will follow an inclusive,
multi-stakeholder approach involving environmental, health, and
veterinary sectors.


The preparatory phase will also assess key risk factors for
zoonotic disease transmission and identify ecosystem-based
prevention strategies. Its outcomes will feed into an
Implementation Project Document outlining how the full program will
reduce pandemic risks through nature-based, preventive approaches
under the One Health framework.


The launch comes amid Uzbekistan’s broader efforts to strengthen
environmental governance, ecosystem restoration, and climate
resilience, positioning the country as an emerging regional leader
in integrated environmental and public health strategies.


The Nature4Health initiative was launched on the sidelines of
the 71st meeting of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Council
and supported by Germany’s Federal Ministry for the Environment
(BMUV) and administered through a UN multi-donor trust fund, with
its secretariat hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme
(UNEP) in Nairobi.