Uzbekistan’s Ecological Party condemns entrepreneur Murod Nazarov’s proposal to lift tree-cutting ban

Murod Nazarov, founder of Murod Buildings, recently criticized the ban on tree cutting, arguing that it is frequently violated in practice and fuels corruption. He proposed lifting the moratorium and instead allowing tree removal only after new trees are planted in advance. According to Nazarov, developers or third parties could establish a “tree bank” and hand it over to local authorities, thereby turning planting into an investment process.

The Ecological Party’s deputies firmly rejected the proposal.

“We feel the pressure of climate change every day”

“Problems such as water scarcity and global warming are becoming more acute with each passing day in our country. In such a context, preserving every tree for future generations is of critical importance. Growing a single mature tree takes decades of care and patience,” said MP Javlon Abdullayev.

He stressed that the moratorium was introduced for a reason. In the first six months of this year alone, 3,235 applications to cut down trees were denied, which helped save 453,238 trees, including 86,309 valuable species.

“Had this measure not been in place, we’d already be living in a desert. Despite isolated cases of illegal logging, the moratorium has helped prevent the destruction of over 98% of trees,” Abdullayev emphasized.

He also pointed out that many of the recently transplanted or newly planted saplings are not surviving. “These efforts often do more harm than good to the environment, worsening the ecological situation rather than helping it,” he said.

Ecological balance and the law must not be compromised

Abdullayev warned that replacing mature trees with so-called “alternative plantings” is not just ecologically unsound but also legally problematic. “If everyone starts viewing trees as obstacles and replaces them at will, that would be a direct act of aggression against nature – in other words, an environmental crime.”

He cited examples from developed countries, where even illegally cutting a centimeter of a tree carries financial penalties. In some cases, developers can lose their land rights. “These countries don’t just plant trees – they also revive damaged or drying ones.”

Abdullayev called for similar mechanisms to be introduced into Uzbekistan’s legislation. “We, the deputies of the Ecological Party, are firmly against this kind of soulless attitude by entrepreneurs toward nature and the proposals that stem from it. Such careless initiatives could lead to apathy toward environmental protection and undermine ecological sustainability in the long run. Development, construction, and renovation must not come at the expense of nature – they must be aligned with environmental priorities.”

Legal and civic action ahead

The Ecological Party announced it will initiate legislation to officially classify trees and shrubs covered by the moratorium as protected natural assets, meaning they cannot be harmed during renovation projects.

In addition, the party is launching public campaigns under the hashtag #men_daraxt_kesilishiga_qarshiman (“I’m against tree cutting”) and is calling on citizens to actively participate in defending nature.