An academic and practical seminar occasioned to June 17 – the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought – has taken place at the Mirzo Ulughbek National University of Uzbekistan.
The event was organized by a parliamentary group of the Environmental Movement of Uzbekistan in the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Committee for Ecology and Environmental Protection, the State Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Land Resources, Geodesy, Cartography and State Cadastre, the Ministry of Higher and Secondary Special Education. It was attended by legislators, representatives of governmental and nongovernmental organizations, academics, ecologists, young researchers, students and journalists.
Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis B.Alikhanov, Rector of the National University of Uzbekistan G.Muhamedov and others noted that the constant attention being paid under the leadership of President Islam Karimov to lowering the negative impact of the human factor on the nature, to introducing the mechanisms of clean development in the process of reforms directed at the modernization of all walks of life of the society, facilitates sustainable development.
Our country, along with addressing the national and regional challenges on this front, has been active in international actions aimed at preventing global environmental problems. In 1995, Uzbekistan ratified the UN Convention to Combat Desertification and Drought. Systemic efforts are undertaken to fulfill commitments taken within the framework of that document.
A range of projects are implemented to promote rational use of land, water and biological resources, to expand forests and protected areas, to preserving the biological diversity, improving the ameliorative state of soil, introducing saving technologies in agriculture, weathering the negative impact of the global climate change.
Scientific activities and the system of training qualified specialists is instrumental in addressing the pressing issues in this sphere. The National University of Uzbekistan has been one of those institutions. More than 800 undergraduate and graduate students are trained in over 10 majors at the School of Biology and Soil Studies of the university. Everything essential is created there for a close interaction of theory and practice, for extensive introduction of advanced international expertise into the learning process.
The seminar participants were presented reports concerning the protection of land resources, the results of measures taken to boost the productivity of soil, extensive introduction of achievements of science into the production sphere, improvement of the system of educating cadres with higher education.
At the event, winners of academic project contest that was held among young researchers and students were awarded.