Climate change

Climate change has already changed the lives of Uzbekistan’s cities. Rising temperatures, prolonged periods of heat, water shortages, heavy rainfall, dust storms, and environmental degradation are placing new demands on urban infrastructure. This issue is particularly relevant for Uzbekistan. Over the past six decades, the country’s average annual temperature has increased by 1.6°C. In very hot and dry years, river flows may decrease by up to 25–50 percent. According to World Bank projections, without effective adaptation measures, by 2050 Uzbekistan’s economy could be approximately 10 percent smaller than it would be in the absence of climate risks.