Cases / Lobbying, PR and greenwashing · Uzbekistan · 2017–2025
World Bank $800m Uzbekistan operation; Tanzania project halted
Short record: the main facts, with sources. A full case file has not been prepared.
Nature's voice · report
No measurement of the harm done to me here is on record.
Did nature suffer? Not measured.
Not on record
- The record does not name which of my species, waters, soils or forests were harmed.
The World Bank announced an $800 million policy operation for Uzbekistan in October 2025, while its REGROW project in Tanzania was suspended in April 2024 and cancelled in November 2024. At stake for nature is whether the 1.73 million hectares of forest reported planted in Uzbekistan survive.
What?
The World Bank announced an $800 million development policy operation for Uzbekistan and suspended disbursements on its Tanzanian REGROW project. World Bank
Where?
Uzbekistan (policy operation and forest planting); Ruaha, Tanzania (REGROW project) World Bank
When?
Policy operation dated 16 October 2025; Tanzanian disbursements suspended from 18 April 2024 and project cancelled in November 2024.
Who?
Gained
- Government of Uzbekistan — US$800 million World Bank policy operation World Bank
Lost
- Government of Tanzania — REGROW project funding; disbursements suspended, then project cancelled
Harmed
None on recordWhy?
Not stated in the sources reviewed.
How?
A development policy operation for Uzbekistan; REGROW disbursements suspended, then the project cancelled. The sources reviewed do not state how the forest was planted. World Bank
6 of 6 questions answered from the record
What happened
The record, in order.
The World Bank press release describes a US$800 million programmatic development policy operation for Uzbekistan, dated 16 October 2025.
Mongabay reported in May 2024 that Uzbekistan had planted 1.73 million hectares of forest on land where a sea once lay.
In court and with insurers
Every proceeding and every insurer decision on record.
Lawsuits and rulings
No court case on record. No court has ruled on this case.
Insurers
No insurer decision on record.
What we don't know
Undisclosed, unproven, untried: recorded as data.
Nature
- Not measured Harm to nature: The record holds no measurement of harm to nature.
Record
- Insufficient Reported but not verified: a Mongabay report (April 2024) that World Bank funds for a US$150 million Tanzanian project were frozen after human-rights allegations, including evictions and killings.
- Insufficient Survival of the reported forest planting in Uzbekistan is not verified.
- None on record The REGROW suspension and cancellation dates have no source link in the sources reviewed.
Did the harm stop?
Not stated in the sources reviewed.
Who paid?
Not stated in the sources reviewed.
Sources
Voices on record: — Company or project— Government and regulators— Courts✓ Press and investigations— Communities and civil society— Researchers
Press and investigations
- First Advancing Global Integration… DPOWorld Bank · 2025-10-16
- Uzbekistan plants a forest where a sea once layMongabay · 2024-05
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