Sea Breeze Uzbekistan resort project has yet to undergo full environmental review, agency says

The Sea Breeze Uzbekistan resort project at Charvak has not yet undergone a comprehensive environmental impact assessment, with only the land-selection phase having received approval thus far, according to Gairat Muhamedov, director of the State Center for Ecological Expertise. Muhamedov shared this information with Gazeta.uz following an August 5 press conference.

Muhamedov explained that environmental review is a two-stage process. The initial stage evaluates the land designated for construction, while the second stage scrutinizes the project's complete environmental impact. For Sea Breeze Uzbekistan, only the documentation pertaining to land allocation, which constitutes the first stage, has been reviewed.

"We received the project's first-stage documents, and an opinion was issued solely on the matter of land allocation. The second-stage project documents have not yet been submitted. This means the materials necessary to assess the concerns currently being raised by the public have not yet been presented," he stated.

Muhamedov emphasized that the second stage will involve an evaluation of the project's effects on flora and fauna, wastewater treatment facilities, the overall layout, the proposed buildings, and all other pertinent data.

"This necessitates scientific studies spanning autumn, winter, and spring, conducted with the involvement of the Institute of Botany and the Institute of Zoology. Those institutes have already contacted us regarding this work, and the studies are presently underway. Once completed, they will submit their findings. Only after these requirements are met will a decision be made on the second stage," the center's director affirmed.

He noted that once the second-stage documents are submitted to the center, they will undergo review within the legally stipulated 25 working days. According to Muhamedov, the overall project design for Sea Breeze Uzbekistan is not yet complete, which is why an environmental opinion has not been issued for it.

"The project has not been finalized. For instance, we still haven't been provided with any design specifics on what the wastewater treatment facility will look like, its capacity, how many people it will serve, or how many cottages and houses will be constructed. Developing the project will take approximately two more years. Currently, work is limited to shoreline reinforcement, tree planting, and site preparation. No other construction is underway," he elaborated.

Muhamedov confirmed that as soon as the findings of the environmental review are signed, they will be made public on the open government portal and the center's website.

**About the Sea Breeze Uzbekistan project**

On August 1, 2025, the Cabinet of Ministers adopted a resolution outlining measures to implement the extensive Sea Breeze Uzbekistan investment project, aimed at constructing a year-round resort complex. Pursuant to this resolution, the government commission on attracting investment, industrial development, and trade regulation approved a proposal from Azerbaijan's Agalarov Development LLC and its joint venture, Sea Breeze Uzbekistan LLC, as the winning bid. This proposal involves building the year-round resort complex on 577 hectares in the Bostanliq district of Tashkent province.

Among Sea Breeze Uzbekistan LLC's primary obligations is executing the project in adherence to environmental requirements. This includes preventing the discharge of waste and wastewater into the Charvak reservoir and the Chirchiq River both during construction and after the complex becomes operational, and instead directing wastewater to Chirchiq city's wastewater treatment facility.

The Tashkent province administration has indicated that all phases of the project's implementation will be subject to systematic oversight by provincial bodies responsible for ecology, construction, land cadastre, and sanitation.