Uzbek authorities step in to help creator of man-made forest after public outcry
Authorities in Uzbekistan have stepped in to assist Alexander Fedin, a resident of the Surkhandarya region who created a 101-hectare man-made forest and received state honors for his work, but later found himself without housing and in a psychiatric hospital, according to the Fergana news agency.
The case drew widespread attention after reports circulated on social media. According to information shared by public activist and founder of the Human House Gallery, Ms. Lola Saifi, Uzbekistan’s Presidential Administration and the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change have taken the situation under their control, while local authorities in Surkhandarya region have also become involved.
Fedin, who was born in Tajikistan in 1959 and moved to Surkhandarya as an infant, began planting trees in 1989 after receiving four hectares of abandoned land near the Aqtepa Reservoir in Jarkurgan district. He was later allocated an additional 84 hectares.
Working together with members of a local hunters’ and fishermen’s association, Fedin created a forest covering 101 hectares and established a hunting and fishing area. In recognition of his environmental work, he received the «Defender of Nature» badge in 2023 and was awarded the «Dustlik» Order in 2025.
However, according to reports, Fedin lost his job in October 2025. When journalist Fozil Farhod visited the site in May 2026, he found that access to the forest had been restricted by a barrier. According to his information, the territory had been transferred to the military and subsequently leased to a private operator charging visitors 250,000 soms (about 21 $) for entry.
By that time, Fedin had been admitted to a psychiatric facility in Surkhandarya and reportedly had no permanent place to live due to family difficulties.
According to sources cited by Saifi, Fedin has now received the necessary medical care and has been discharged from the hospital. Authorities are reportedly working to provide him with housing, while possible employment within the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change is also being considered.
Officials are also reviewing the status of the forest itself. According to available information, plans are being discussed to transfer the territory to the management of the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change and reopen it to the public free of charge.
There are also proposals to establish the «Fedin Dendrological Park» in recognition of his contribution to the greening of the region.
The case has sparked broader discussion about the protection of environmental initiatives in Uzbekistan. Journalist Anastasia Pavlenko questioned why a man recently honored by the state was left without social support and whether adequate safeguards exist for individuals engaged in long-term environmental projects.
«Why plant, care for, and preserve something if, after many years, what you created can simply be handed over to someone else, a barrier erected, and you left outside the world you built?» she wrote on Facebook.
Private reforestation initiatives remain uncommon in Uzbekistan. According to environmental enthusiast Otabek Nuritdinov, the country’s legislation does not currently recognize the concept of private forestry. Fedin’s story has highlighted the legal vulnerability of such projects and raised questions about how the state intends to protect them in the future.
The case drew widespread attention after reports circulated on social media. According to information shared by public activist and founder of the Human House Gallery, Ms. Lola Saifi, Uzbekistan’s Presidential Administration and the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change have taken the situation under their control, while local authorities in Surkhandarya region have also become involved.
Fedin, who was born in Tajikistan in 1959 and moved to Surkhandarya as an infant, began planting trees in 1989 after receiving four hectares of abandoned land near the Aqtepa Reservoir in Jarkurgan district. He was later allocated an additional 84 hectares.
Working together with members of a local hunters’ and fishermen’s association, Fedin created a forest covering 101 hectares and established a hunting and fishing area. In recognition of his environmental work, he received the «Defender of Nature» badge in 2023 and was awarded the «Dustlik» Order in 2025.
However, according to reports, Fedin lost his job in October 2025. When journalist Fozil Farhod visited the site in May 2026, he found that access to the forest had been restricted by a barrier. According to his information, the territory had been transferred to the military and subsequently leased to a private operator charging visitors 250,000 soms (about 21 $) for entry.
By that time, Fedin had been admitted to a psychiatric facility in Surkhandarya and reportedly had no permanent place to live due to family difficulties.
According to sources cited by Saifi, Fedin has now received the necessary medical care and has been discharged from the hospital. Authorities are reportedly working to provide him with housing, while possible employment within the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change is also being considered.
Officials are also reviewing the status of the forest itself. According to available information, plans are being discussed to transfer the territory to the management of the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change and reopen it to the public free of charge.
There are also proposals to establish the «Fedin Dendrological Park» in recognition of his contribution to the greening of the region.
The case has sparked broader discussion about the protection of environmental initiatives in Uzbekistan. Journalist Anastasia Pavlenko questioned why a man recently honored by the state was left without social support and whether adequate safeguards exist for individuals engaged in long-term environmental projects.
«Why plant, care for, and preserve something if, after many years, what you created can simply be handed over to someone else, a barrier erected, and you left outside the world you built?» she wrote on Facebook.
Private reforestation initiatives remain uncommon in Uzbekistan. According to environmental enthusiast Otabek Nuritdinov, the country’s legislation does not currently recognize the concept of private forestry. Fedin’s story has highlighted the legal vulnerability of such projects and raised questions about how the state intends to protect them in the future.
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