This topic provides a scientific analysis of the processes of change in the environmental situation in Uzbekistan during the years of independence, the policy of environmental protection, and issues of rational use of natural resources. The study highlights modern approaches to the use of water, land, mineral and biological resources, ecological problems — the Aral Sea crisis, desertification, water scarcity, atmospheric pollution, as well as their socio-economic consequences. It also reveals the importance of ensuring environmental security, introducing the principles of sustainable development, state environmental policy, and international cooperation.