FOREIGN EXPERIENCE AND INNOVATIVE PROPOSALS FOR LANDSCAPING IN TERRITORIES WITH EXTREME CLIMATIC CONDITIONS OF KARAKALPAKSTAN

Аннотация

The aim of this research is to study innovative foreign and local experiences in greening areas considered climatically unfavorable for plant cultivation in Uzbekistan. Based on this, the study seeks to develop proposals and recommendations for greening desert regions and settlements in the Aral Sea region and improving their ecological conditions. The article explores practices of plant cultivation and landscaping in areas characterized by extensive sand and desert terrain, with particular focus on experiences from China and Egypt—especially the creation of the Serapium forests in the Egyptian deserts. It further proposes how these experiences can be applied in Uzbekistan’s challenging regions, such as saline and desert soils in the Aral Sea area, including settlements. The study also offers suggestions on using wastewater (sewage) for afforestation, controlling sand drifts, and implementing effective landscaping in these inhospitable conditions. Keywords: Karakalpakstan, Aral Sea region, climatically unfavorable areas for plant growth, landscaping activities, Uzbekistan and foreign countries, Egypt, China experiences. Introduction: A significant part of Uzbekistan consists of regions with unfavorable conditions for plant growth—characterized by hot and dry summers, cold winters, saline soils, and desert landscapes. In such areas, it is particularly difficult and challenging to preserve flora and fauna, combat erosion, and carry out greening efforts in settlements. Among the foremost regions facing these issues are the Republic of Karakalpakstan, the Aral Sea zone, and the northwestern areas of Karakalpakstan, where settlements are located. The landscape and natural environment of this region have undergone severe erosion and degradation as a result of the reduced flow of the Amu Darya River and the gradual drying up of the Aral Sea. Although the government of Uzbekistan and the international community have undertaken systematic efforts to mitigate and eliminate the negative consequences of this situation (such as planting saxaul trees in the saline lands of the dried Aral Sea bed, or growing the Indigofera plant with the help of scientists from the Tashkent Institute of Agriculture) [1; 6], revitalizing the 162 SCIENCE AND INNOVATION IN THE EDUCATION SYSTEM International scientific-online conference landscape and environment of the region, as well as greening the surrounding areas and settlements, remains a pressing and strategically important issue at the national level. Accordingly, this research is dedicated to studying global practices aimed at improving the ecological environment and climatic conditions of desert zones with unfavorable conditions for plant cultivation, and applying these experiences to the greening of settlements located in the Aral Sea region of Karakalpakstan. Local scholars such as A.S. Uralov, A.N. Gadayev, and B.Yu. Kidirboev have addressed this issue [4]. However, broader innovative scientific approaches based on international experience have not yet been implemented to solve the problem effectively. The research methodology is based on a comprehensive scientific approach to the problem and includes the following specific research methods: – analysis through comparison of materials collected from scientific and specialized literature, project documentation, and regulatory documents related to the issue; – and the development of new proposals and recommendations for greening urban areas located in hot and arid climate zones. Research Results. It is well known that the Aral Sea region of Karakalpakstan, located within the Republic of Uzbekistan, is considered one of the most unfavorable areas for plant cultivation and maintenance. This is due to the region’s natural climatic and soil conditions, which pose significant challenges in forming sustainable vegetation. In order to effectively grow plants and carry out greening activities in settlements in these areas, it is necessary to lower the groundwater level and carry out soil leaching activities during the winter to reduce salinity. These measures require substantial financial investment. In addressing this issue, studying the experiences of foreign countries that possess similar desert landscapes to the Aral Sea region is of great importance. We examined solutions to the problem using examples from the People’s Republic of China and the Arab Republic of Egypt in Africa. Specifically, China has implemented a national program to combat the desertification of grassland areas used for agriculture [5]. This program includes measures to halt sand movement caused by strong desert winds that threaten fields and settlements, grow vegetation capable of stabilizing desert soils, and thus improve the ecological state of villages and towns located in desert and steppe regions. It also 163 SCIENCE AND INNOVATION IN THE EDUCATION SYSTEM International scientific-online conference includes the creation of jobs for the local population [5]. The