More than 80 million hectares of land have already been degraded — about a quarter of the region’s territory. For comparison, this is roughly four times the area of Kyrgyzstan. Nearly 30 percent of the population — 24 million people — live on land that is steadily losing its productivity.

For farmers, land degradation means crop losses. For livestock herders, it means pastures with less and less vegetation. For entire families, it can mean losing their source of income and, in some cases, being forced to leave their homes.

The annual economic losses caused by land degradation in Central Asia are estimated at $2–6 billion.

Climate change is further intensifying the pressure. Central Asia is warming about twice as fast as the global average. Over the past half-century, glaciers — the region’s natural «water towers» — have shrunk by about 30 percent. Rivers and oases that have sustained life in one of the world’s driest regions for centuries are coming under increasing threat.

One of the most visible manifestations of the crisis is the rise in sand and dust storms. Drought and heat dry out the soil, while winds lift the fertile topsoil into the air, along with salt from the dried bed of the Aral Sea and dust from degraded pastures and abandoned farmland.

These dust clouds can travel hundreds or even thousands of kilometers. They damage crops, disrupt transportation, contaminate soil and water, and pose risks to human health.

Countries across the region are already testing their own approaches to restoring degraded land. In Kyrgyzstan, local communities are playing an increasingly active role in pasture management by setting grazing limits and directing collected funds toward infrastructure.

By 2030, Kyrgyzstan plans to restore 300,000 hectares of degraded land.

In mountainous Tajikistan, orchards are being planted on unproductive slopes. They provide crops, retain moisture and help protect communities from mudflows.

In Uzbekistan, saxaul has already been planted across two million hectares of the dried Aral Sea bed, while drip irrigation is used on one million hectares. Kazakhstan is developing agricultural land restoration and carbon farming. Turkmenistan is drawing on centuries-old experience of living in desert environments, from stabilizing moving sands to creating green protective belts.