Uzbekistan officially presented an updated electronic geospatial database on biodiversity and protected natural areas called ECODATA on July 28, 2026. This platform consolidates ecological data into a unified digital system designed for natural resource control, supporting scientific research, and aiding in decision-making.
The ECODATA presentation took place at the Research Center for Ecology and Environment of Central Asia at Green University. The event was attended by representatives from the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Green University, the scientific community, international organizations, and development partners.
Yusipbek Kazbekov, Deputy Chairman of the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change, emphasized that digital technologies enable more accurate tracking of species distribution, ecosystem status, and natural resources. He noted that ECODATA is intended to transform ecological data into a practical tool for government bodies, scientists, specialists, international partners, and the public.
The platform was developed by the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change in collaboration with UNDP and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) as part of a project on the wetlands of the Aral Sea. ECODATA consolidates previously disparate information on flora, fauna, protected zones, forests, water bodies, pastures, nature management, and monitoring results.
The system includes seven main modules and over 60 interconnected tables, covering all 12 regions and the Karakalpakstan Republic. The platform provides different access levels for users at national and regional levels, with all actions recorded in a specialized audit module.
Specific sections of ECODATA focus on flora and fauna. They allow users to register species, track populations and their distribution, document conservation statuses, including inclusion in the Red Book, and maintain specialized cadastres. For plant life, the system supports accounting for rare species, natural pastures, their productivity and condition, as well as nurseries and plantation registries.
Furthermore, the system contains information on state nature reserves, national parks, sanctuaries, natural monuments, protected landscapes, forestry and hunting enterprises, fish farms, and ecotourism zones. For each territory, geographical, ecological, and economic data can be combined, including information on flora, fauna, forests, and water bodies.
One of the system's functions is data collection using mobile devices directly in natural areas. Specialists can record observations and cadastral data using GPS coordinates, photographs, and other materials. If there is no internet connection, data is saved locally on the device and synchronized with the central database once connectivity is restored.
Citizens and researchers can also submit reports on observed plants and animals, attaching photos and coordinates, and unidentified species can be forwarded to specialists for subsequent verification.
ECODATA is also equipped with tools for natural resource management. Specifically, a specialized quota module allows for calculating limits based on species population numbers, their distribution, and available resources. Digital government services are integrated into the system; certain procedures will be moved to electronic format via my.gov.uz, including nursery registration and planting material confirmation.
Akiko Fuji, UNDP representative in Uzbekistan, noted that scientific institutions will be able to upload research and monitoring results into ECODATA, forming a cumulative archive. This will allow for analyzing changes in species populations and distribution over many years and help identify territories and species requiring additional attention.
In the future, developers plan to expand the mobile application, strengthen GIS integration, implement automatic alerts regarding critical declines in rare species populations, create tools for assessing the impacts of climate change, and link the platform with international information systems.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Uzbekistan plans to launch the E-Rozilik online platform on August 1st. This service will allow property owners to provide remote consent for the registration of other individuals at their residential premises.
The new platform will be used to provide migration and personalization services that require the consent of third parties. Remote user identification will be carried out using Face-ID and MyID systems. Electronic consent issued through E-Rozilik will have the same legal force in Uzbekistan as a paper document.
To obtain consent, users will need to register on the platform, fill out a standard application form, and provide information about the consenting person, the recipient, the type of permitted service, and its validity period. Applications will be confirmed using biometric data.
After automatic system verification, the consent recipient will receive a notification via SMS or the Passport-Visa mobile application.
The cost of obtaining electronic consent through an application will be 50% of the basic calculated cost, equivalent to 206,000 soms. Starting September 1st, this fee will increase to 220,000 soms. When applying in person at migration offices, the fee will be 30% of the basic calculated cost, or 123,600 soms, increasing to 132,000 soms from September 1st.
The platform will contain a registry of electronic consents, including property owners' permissions for residence or temporary registration, consent for registering foreign citizens at temporary addresses, as well as other documents related to migration and passport services.
The registry will also record bank consents for registration in restricted facilities, as well as powers of attorney for representing and receiving documents from migration authorities on behalf of citizens and foreigners. Parental and guardianship consent for issuing documents to minors and other types of consent established by law are also provided.
The consenting person can make changes to the application if biographical data changes, identity documents are replaced, corporate entity details are altered, or the consent validity period is extended. Furthermore, the platform allows for the withdrawal of consent before the relevant state service is rendered. Consent recipients may refuse it, but paid fees are non-refundable.
Consents processed through the Vakolat.uz platform will be automatically transferred to the E-Rozilik registry. The Ministry of Justice will gain access to the platform via the Passport-Visa system within two months after adopting the relevant regulation.
The five-day training course on implementing the SMART patrolling system has concluded at Zarafshan National Park, according to GIZ. The training took place from July 13 to 17.
The event was organized in cooperation with the Department of Protected Natural Areas under the National Committee of Uzbekistan for Ecology and Climate Change, as well as with the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) within the framework of the regional program 'Climate Risk Management in Central Asia.'
SMART (Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool) is a digital platform designed to manage patrol operations and support decision-making in protected areas. Using this system, inspectors record patrol routes, identified violations, and wildlife observations using geographical coordinates. The collected information is transmitted to a centralized database for subsequent analysis and to support management decisions regarding biodiversity conservation.
Technical specialists, database operators, and national park inspectors participated in the training. After the program concludes, rangers will replace paper patrol logs with secured smartphones equipped with the SMART Mobile application. This will allow data to be collected in the field with precise GPS coordinates and sent directly to the database.
The sessions were conducted by Michael Hötte, an expert in international wildlife conservation and ecologist from the Netherlands. All participants received certificates upon completion of the training. This training was the first practical event within the program implemented by GIZ on behalf of the German government. In the next phase, park inspectors will collect data via SMART for six months, while database operators, together with specialists from the Department of Protected Natural Areas, will verify and analyze this information. Based on the collected data, the first comprehensive SMART Patrol analytical report will be prepared, providing the national park's management and the National Committee for Ecology with a detailed overview of patrolling results, registered violations, and biodiversity monitoring, serving as factual basis for strengthening nature protection and resource management.
