Uzbekistan Expands Environmental Penalties for Pollution

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) —Uzbekistan has introduced stricter financial penalties for violations in the areas of ecology, environmental protection, and natural resource use. The changes are set out in Law No. ZRU–1143 dated May 4, 2026, which amends and supplements several existing legislative acts.

Under the new law, legal entities will face significant financial sanctions for environmental offenses.

In particular, violations of procedures for riverbed cleaning and riverbank strengthening will result in a penalty equal to three times the amount of environmental damage caused.

Separate liability has been established for water pollution and violations of wastewater discharge regulations. In such cases, legal entities will be required to pay a fine amounting to ten times the compensation calculated for environmental damage.

The law also tightens responsibility for non-compliance with tree protection requirements. Failure to implement measures to preserve green spaces on land owned or managed by legal entities will lead to a penalty equal to five times the assessed environmental damage.

The adopted amendments are aimed at strengthening environmental oversight and increasing accountability among businesses and organizations for their impact on the natural environment.

The law will enter into force three months after its official publication.