The audit covered 2023–2024 and the first 9 months of 2025 and was conducted within the system of the Agency for Forestry and Green Area Expansion and Combating Desertification, using the examples of Kashkadarya and Surkhandarya regions.

A total of 7.1 million hectares of land are on the balance of 79 forestry enterprises under the Agency, including 4.2 million hectares of forest land (71%, or 3 million hectares of actual forest) and 2.9 million hectares of non-forest land (72%, or 2.1 million hectares of pastures).

As a result of reforms in the forestry sector during 2021–2025, an additional 1.5 million hectares of forested and shrub areas were established (compared to 3.2 million hectares in 2019).

In addition, 6.1 thousand tons of seeds of trees and shrubs, 599.1 million seedlings and saplings were produced, and shelterbelt plantations were established on 10.7 thousand hectares.

The audit identified a number of shortcomings in forest protection, expansion, and efficient use of funds, including:

– insufficient working and material-technical conditions for forestry employees;

– failure to meet the requirement to construct at least 50 forestry houses and observation towers annually for forest guards;

– insufficient provision of forest protection staff with specialized vehicles, equipment (binoculars, drones, radios, video surveillance, etc.), and uniforms;

– inadequate implementation of geobotanical studies on pastures in accordance with the Law “On Pastures”;

– misuse of land plots withdrawn from the forestry fund for purposes other than those specified in approved projects;

– failure to fully comply with established procedures in leasing forest fund lands, leading to poor lease payment discipline;

– underdeveloped system for combating tree diseases and pests and inefficient use of the capacities of the “Yashil Hudud” enterprise.

Based on the audit results, relevant proposals and recommendations were developed to improve efficiency within the “Yashil Makon” project and forest management system.