NEW UZBEKISTAN ECOLOGICAL STRATEGY: PHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATIONS AND SOCIO-CULTURAL PROSPECTS

Аннотация

The article is devoted to the issues of environmental policy in Uzbekistan. Because the development of nature has led to ecological disasters, the largest of which was the drying up of the Aral Sea. The author considers the problem from the point of view of moral responsibility. Environmental transformation requires not only laws and investments, but also a new type of consciousness, that is, environmental transformation requires not only laws and investments, but also a new type of consciousness. Keywords. Ecology, politics, philosophy, man, nature, culture. Introduction. The environmental policy of modern Uzbekistan is undergoing a deep reassessment within the framework of the general paradigm of state renewal - the concept of "New Uzbekistan." The ecological strategy here acts not only as a reaction to the consequences of the economic expansion of the 20th century, but also as an attempt to revive the relationship between man and nature culturally and morally. This article examines environmental strategy not so much from a political- legal perspective as from a philosophical-anthropological and sociocultural perspective. Main part. The fundamental contradiction between technogenic civilization and the natural basis of life today is taking on the characteristics of not just an ecological, but a civilizational crisis. The accelerated development of nature in Uzbekistan during the Soviet period, especially in the agricultural sector, led to ecological disasters, the largest of which was the drying up of the Aral Sea. In this context, the ecological problem is not only the problem of polluted water and air, but also the expression of the gap between human existence and the existence of nature, which is the subject of philosophical reflection. According to Hans Jonas, "a new ethic is needed that is responsible for the long-term consequences of technical activity".1 Consequently, the ecological strategy of "New Uzbekistan" can be understood as an attempt to transition from a utilitarian- 1 Jonas H. The Principle of Responsibility. The search for ethics for technological civilization. - Moscow: Delo, 2004. - P. 89. https://scientific-jl.com/wsrj 4 1 Volume-42_Issue-1_August-2025 World scientific research journal resource perception of nature to a responsible ethic that involves long-term thinking and the spiritual inclusion of a person in the natural context. The concept of sustainable development, which underlies the environmental policy of Uzbekistan, dates back to humanistic philosophy, according to which man is not the master of nature, but acts as its part and guardian. As V. Heschle pointed out, "environmental rationality does not exclude technology, but subordinates it to the principles of moral responsibility"2. Since 2017, the Republic of Uzbekistan has adopted a number of strategic documents, which prioritize the rational use of nature, transition to a "green" economy, protection of biodiversity, and sustainable water supply. But behind this institutional framework lies a deeper shift: the formation of a new cultural identity, in which natural and social, traditional and innovative should come into harmony. In this sense, the ecological strategy of Uzbekistan is not just a political program, but an element of the national worldview associated with the revival of ancient traditions of careful treatment of land (for example, water as a sacred source in the cultural memory of rural communities). Environmental transformation requires not only laws and investments, but also a new type of consciousness. The transformation of the relationship to nature is possible only with a deep transformation of the subject: from a consumer to a caring person, from an individual to a community, from rational calculation to moral measurement. As the philosopher A. Nazarov emphasizes, "environmental culture presupposes a symbiosis of rational knowledge and existential participation"3. In "New Uzbekistan," the environmental strategy is reflected in educational reforms, the development of youth initiatives, the growth of environmental NGOs and international partnerships (for example, with the UN and UNEP). Thus, ecological strategy becomes not only a "top-down" policy but also a "bottom-down" movement aimed at fostering ecological citizenship. Any strategy becomes effective only when it fits into the context of the people's cultural memory. Uzbekistan, having a centuries-old tradition of rational water use, agriculture, and reverence for natural cycles, is not so much borrowing from Western environmental practices as activating its internal potential. For example, in the culture of oasis settlements, stability was the norm, not an exception: water was considered a sacred good, and its careless use was perceived as a moral deviation. Modern policy, reviving projects for the restoration of irrigated lands, can become a "bridge" between historical memory and modern challenges. Ecology here is not only a science, but also an exis