Uzbekistan launches its first National Ramsar Strategy at CITES COP20

High-level side event highlights strong international commitment to wetland conservation

The Michael Succow Foundation is deligthed having actively contributed to the high-level side event at CITES COP20, where Uzbekistan officially launched its first National Ramsar Strategy for the period 2026–2030. The event brought together an outstanding line-up of international repesentatives and institutions, underscoring the global importance of wetland conservation and the momentum behind Uzbekistan’s environmental reforms.

CITES COP20 - Side event arranged jointly by GIZ and the National Committee of Ecology and Climate Change of Uzbekistan held on 25 November 2025, featured an impressive panel of representatives:

  • Aziz Abdukhakimov, chairman of the National Committee of Ecology and Climate Change of Uzbekistan
  • Dr. Musonda Mumba, Secretary General of the Ramsar Convention
  • Inka Gnittke, German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety
  • Joachim Fritz, GIZ Country Director for Uzbekistan
  • Jens Wunderlich, Michael Succow Foundation

The protection and wise use of wetlands is a shared global priority and Uzbekistan is among the early birds in providing a sophisticated national Ramsar Strategy and a strategic plan to implement it, as the Secretary General of the Ramsar Convention, Dr. Musonda Mumba, highlighted in her welcoming words.

The newly launched National Ramsar Strategy marks a milestone for Uzbekistan. Developed under the DIAPOL project, implemented by GIZ and supported by the German Federal Ministry for Environment (BMUKN), the strategy strengthens national commitments under the Ramsar Convention. 

With this launch, Uzbekistan sends an encouraging message to the region and the global community: bold steps for wetland conservation must be taken now. We are honored that the Michael Succow Foundation could contribute its expertise to this process and stands ready to continue supporting transformative wetland management in Central Asia.

Download National Ramsar Strategy of Uzbekistan 2026-2030

Photos: © National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan; J. Wunderlich / Michael Succow Stiftung; © I. Annamamedov; M. Gritsina

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