BUDAPEST, November 10. /Dunyo IA/.    Popular Hungarian online publication “Daily News Hungary” has published an article entitled “How Is Global Climate Change Reshaping Uzbekistan’s Riverside Ecosystems?”, focusing on the tugai forests along the rivers of Central Asia, reports Dunyo IA correspondent.

Article notes that in recent decades, tugai forests, which maintain the natural balance between rivers and deserts and provide habitats for dozens of rare species, including the Bukhara deer, have become among the most threatened ecosystems in the world. Historically, in some areas, they extended two to three kilometres inland from riverbanks, whereas today, in many places, only narrow, disconnected strips remain.

Article draws on long-term research conducted by scientists of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, who studied tugai forests along the Amu Darya, Syr Darya and Zarafshan rivers, as well as along the shores of the Aydar–Arnasay Lake System. Field observations were combined with analysis of historical data, satellite imagery and tree rings. These ecosystems support 632 plant species.

According to the research findings, rising temperatures are intensifying evaporation, while earlier snowmelt and shrinking glaciers are changing the water supply to rivers. Seasonal inundation, which is essential for the natural regeneration of forests, is occurring less frequently. These pressures are compounded by soil salinity, land conversion, excessive grazing and river flow regulation. The combined area of three tugai stands along the Syr Darya in the Fergana Valley decreased from 754 hectares in 1975 to 377 hectares in 2025. The width of tree rings along the Amu Darya declined from 6.96 to 2.46 millimetres, and along the Syr Darya, from 11.26 to 1.95 millimetres.

Article also highlights the growing risk of fires due to the accumulation of dry grass, reeds and branches. The authors emphasis that assessing the condition of tugai solely by the presence of green vegetation is insufficient: it is important to determine whether healthy trees and natural regeneration are being maintained.

Measures identified include protecting surviving tugai forests, restoring them using native species, safeguarding young growth from grazing, restoring the hydrological connection between river floodplains and river channels, and taking ecosystem needs into account when allocating water resources. The publication emphasizes that conserving tugai forests is a shared responsibility of the Central Asian countries and requires the exchange of scientific data, joint monitoring and international support.