Revised Activity Report- Phase 3: Field Assessment

Dargom

İsmail Belen

Dargham State Forestry – Dargham Forest Nursery Visit

Location: Samarkand Region (Uzbek: Samarqand viloyati),
Dargham District (Uzbek: Darg‘om tumani), Uzbekistan (Uzbek: O‘zbekiston Respublikasi)

As part of the field mission in the Samarkand Region (Samarqand viloyati), the delegation visited the Dargham Forest Nursery (Darg‘om o‘rmon ko‘chatchiligi), which operates under the Dargham State Forestry (Darg‘om davlat o‘rmon xo‘jaligi). The site is located in the Dargham District (Darg‘om tumani) of Samarkand Region, Uzbekistan.

The visit followed the earlier meeting at the Samarkand State Forestry and was conducted with the same project team. It provided direct field-level insight into the implementation of activities under the RESILAND CA+ Program – Uzbekistan Resilient Landscape Restoration Project, implemented with the support of the The World Bank.

Information boards displayed at the site clearly present the project’s institutional and legal framework, including alignment with the Presidential Decree dated 27 March 2024, and highlight national priorities related to restoring resilient forest landscapes, increasing green cover, and combating land degradation and desertification across Uzbekistan (Uzbek: O‘zbekiston).

According to the on-site project information, the Dargham Forest Nursery is implementing the establishment of medicinal plant plantations covering a total area of 50 hectares within the Dargham District. The plantations focus on selected medicinal and aromatic species that are ecologically suitable for the climatic and soil conditions of the Samarkand Region and that also have high economic potential.

The main species cultivated under the project include:

  • Unabi (Ziziphus jujuba – Uzbek: Unabi)
  • Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia – Uzbek: Lavanda)

These species were selected due to their drought tolerance, adaptability to local environmental conditions, contribution to biodiversity enhancement, and potential to support sustainable forest-based livelihoods for local communities in Samarkand Region.

During the visit, the Director of the Forestry, Mr. Orbek Bayanovich, provided a comprehensive briefing on the nursery’s operational practices, seedling production capacity, and medium-term development objectives. Particular emphasis was placed on improving the quality and quantity of planting material, strengthening climate-resilient forestry practices, and expanding medicinal plant production as a strategic component of sustainable landscape restoration in Dargham District.

The photographs taken during the visit document both the strong institutional visibility of the project—through official signboards, donor logos, and regulatory notices—and the active engagement between project representatives and local forestry authorities. Overall, the visit confirmed that the Dargham Forest Nursery plays a strategic role in translating national forestry and landscape restoration policies into concrete, field-level results in the Samarkand Region (Samarqand viloyati), while contributing to environmental sustainability and local economic development in Uzbekistan.