Addressing the challenges of integrated, rational use of natural resources, particularly water (90% of water is used for irrigation), and environmental protection is key to Uzbekistan's sustainable socio-economic development. Previously, centralized planning of economic sectors without regard for environmental impacts has led to an environmental crisis in the Aral Sea basin over the past 30-40 years. The drying up of the sea and unprecedented levels of desertification indicate the unsustainable development of the region's economy. The main causes of the current environmental situation in the region are: low efficiency in water and land use, relatively weak implementation of scientific and technological advances in the national economy, slow construction, poor operational reliability of water pipelines and the return of water management facilities, newly developed land, irrigation and drainage systems, deviations from agricultural regulations, poor resource accounting (water, land, energy, etc.), and a lack of economic incentives for resource conservation.