Tashkent: Education Above All (EAA) Foundation, a global foundation for education and development, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and supported by Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD), has launched the initiative "Empowering and Nurturing Leadership Skills of Youth Through Climate Action Education in Uzbekistan." The three-year project aims to equip over 1.3 million youth with green skills and climate knowledge, fostering a more resilient and sustainable future for Uzbekistan.
According to Qatar News Agency, the initiative will train 50,000 teachers, incorporate climate change education into the curricula of all 10,199 secondary schools in Uzbekistan, and provide 4,000 rural youth with specialized training in climate-smart agriculture and renewable energy. In some of the nation's most climate-vulnerable areas, such as the Aral Sea region, 800 young community leaders will also be engaged to carry out local climate action projects.
The signing of this initiative comes in the backdrop of World Environment Day on Jun. 5, 2025, whose theme this year is an urgent global call to end plastic pollution. Uzbekistan faces pressing climate challenges, with young people and rural populations particularly vulnerable. Despite this, climate education remains largely absent from the country's formal curriculum. This initiative addresses that gap by embedding green skills training within the national education system and vocational training facilities.
Aligned with Uzbekistan's Strategy on Green Transition, the project also supports global climate action efforts by contributing to Sustainable Development Goals 4 (Quality Education) and 13 (Climate Action). Through this collaboration, EAA Foundation and UNDP reaffirm their commitment to empowering youth as key drivers of change, ensuring they have the knowledge and skills to lead a greener, more sustainable Uzbekistan.
Executive Director of EAA Foundation's ROTA Programme Abdulla Al Abdulla stated: "By embedding climate education into Uzbekistan's national education system, this project will empower over a million youth to confront the climate crisis. Alongside our partners, with support from our strategic partner the QFFD, EAA Foundation is proud to invest in Uzbekistan's youth to be leaders in climate action and resilience."
UNDP Resident Representative Akiko Fujii highlighted the project's vision during the launch, emphasizing that youth are not just beneficiaries, but leaders in Uzbekistan's green transition. A key component of the initiative is the Young Green Ambassadors Network, which will empower 800 rural youth to lead grassroots environmental efforts such as tree-planting and waste management campaigns. National climate competitions will be organized to foster innovation, with winning projects receiving international recognition.
Minister of Preschool and School Education Khilola Umarova remarked that this initiative aligns with Uzbekistan's 'Year of Environmental Protection and Green Economy.' Climate education is essential to prepare youth to address environmental challenges and become innovators in the green economy. Through this strategic collaboration, EAA Foundation and UNDP are ensuring that Uzbekistan's youth are not just prepared for the future but actively shaping it.