As part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Month, issues of energy supply, expanding the use of alternative energy sources, and raising the environmental culture of the population were discussed in the mahallas (traditional neighborhood communities) of Tashkent district, Tashkent region.
Today, the issue of energy is moving beyond the scope of an ordinary household need and becoming a key factor in ensuring economic development, social well-being, and environmental sustainability. An uninterrupted and reliable supply of electricity is essential for manufacturing, entrepreneurship, education, healthcare, digital services, and the stability of people's daily lives.
For this reason, creating access for all to affordable, reliable, modern, and environmentally safe energy sources is today one of the pressing tasks facing not only individual states but the entire international community.
This issue also holds a prominent place in the United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In particular, SDG 7 — "Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all" — is considered one of the priority directions of global development.
It was precisely in order to translate these global goals into practice at the local level and to engage the population and the public broadly in these processes that an important public discussion was held in Tashkent district on August 13.
The event was organized within the SDGs Month, under the slogan of the "Year of Mahalla Development and Community Advancement," jointly by the Tashkent Regional Branch of the Sustainable Development Center, the khokimiyat (local administration) of Tashkent district, and the Association of Mahallas of Tashkent district.
The discussion, titled "The Role of the Mahalla in Achieving Sustainable and Reliable Energy Sources within the Framework of the Sustainable Development Goals," brought together the chairpersons and activists of 63 mahallas of Tashkent district, khokimiyat officials, and staff of the association of mahallas. Held in both offline and online formats, the event covered a total of 77 participants.
A Global Goal — a Concrete Task in the Mahalla
The event paid special attention to the essence of the SDGs and to the importance of public participation in implementing them at the local level.
As was emphasized, the 17 SDGs defined by the UN are closely interconnected. Reducing poverty, quality education, decent work, innovation, modern infrastructure, environmental safety, and reliable energy supply — all of these tasks directly affect the quality of human life and the development of society.
From this perspective, energy supply is not merely a technical task. It is directly linked to economic development, the well-being of the population, environmental safety, and the interests of future generations.
The discussion noted the need to expand the efficient use of renewable energy sources, including solar, wind, and biomass, to reduce dependence on traditional fuels, and to improve energy efficiency.
Innovation and Energy: The Mahalla as a Key Link in Change
The event emphasized that the issue of energy supply cannot be considered separately from the development of industry, innovation, and infrastructure.
In particular, SDG 9 — "Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure" — envisages creating a solid foundation for economic development through the advancement of modern energy, transport, communications, and digital infrastructure.
In this process, the mahalla emerges as a vital link, as it has great potential for explaining new technologies to the population, fostering a culture of energy saving, popularizing the use of alternative energy sources, and identifying existing problems.
Mahalla Chairpersons: From Problems to Practical Solutions
During the public discussion, mahalla chairpersons, drawing on the real situation in their areas, put forward a number of proposals concerning electricity supply, the use of alternative energy sources, and the raising of environmental culture.
In particular, they stressed the need to address residents' appeals promptly and effectively, reduce power outages, modernize energy infrastructure, and increase transformer capacity in line with population size and consumption volumes.
At the same time, it was noted that residents' interest in using solar panels and other alternative energy sources is growing. In this regard, it was proposed to simplify the paperwork required for installing solar panels, reduce excessive administrative procedures, and provide services based on the "single window" principle.
Mahalla chairpersons also shared views on developing local energy sources such as small hydropower plants, distributing electricity rationally across areas, siting transformers in accordance with population and consumption loads, and modernizing power grids step by step.
The issue of raising the environmental culture of the population also occupied a special place in the discussion. In the view of the mahalla chairpersons, the transition to sustainable energy is not limited to introducing new technologies and infrastructure. It also requires improving people's knowledge and skills in energy saving, the rational use of natural resources, and responsible treatment of the environment.
Overall, the proposals voiced by the mahalla chairpersons demonstrated the need not only to identify existing problems in energy supply but also to seek their practical solutions at the local level.
Public Discussion: A Platform for Identifying Problems and Jointly Seeking Solutions
The significance of this public discussion lies in the fact that the SDGs were discussed not as a general and theoretical concept but in connection with concrete issues of mahalla life.
Such open dialogues serve, first of all, to hear the opinions of residents and mahalla activists, identify local problems on the spot, formulate practical proposals for their solution, and strengthen cooperation with responsible organizations.
Public discussions are also an important platform for raising public awareness of the SDGs, enhancing environmental and energy culture, strengthening public oversight, and developing open dialogue among state bodies, the mahalla, and civil society institutions.
Most importantly, the proposals voiced at such discussions make it possible to identify local problems not from the top down but within the mahalla itself, based on the needs of the population, and to seek solutions together.
Sustainable Energy — a Sustainable Economy
Another important truth emerged during the discussion: sustainable energy supply is not the task of the energy sector alone.
It is a complex issue requiring the concerted action of the mahalla, the khokimiyat, deputies, civil society institutions, and the population.
Reliable energy supply is an essential condition for the continuity of production, the development of entrepreneurship, the stable operation of educational and medical institutions, the quality functioning of digital services, and the well-being of the population.
Conversely, greater energy efficiency and the expansion of alternative energy sources open up new opportunities for creating jobs, developing entrepreneurship, expanding local production, and ensuring environmental safety.
In this sense, sustainable energy is the foundation of a sustainable economy, and a sustainable mahalla is the foundation of a sustainable society.
Global Goals Come True in the Mahalla
The public discussion held in Tashkent district clearly demonstrated the link between global goals and local life.
Although the goals set out in the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development were adopted at the international level, their real results become visible in the mahallas.
A household with improved energy supply, a house with a solar panel installed, a modernized power grid, a business using energy-saving technologies, a family whose environmental culture is growing — all of these are the practical embodiment of the global SDGs in the mahalla.
That is why such public discussions held within the SDGs Month serve to bring the global goals closer to the population, discuss local problems openly, support public initiatives, and develop concrete practical solutions.
Most importantly, this process strengthens the role of the mahalla in achieving the SDGs. For no matter how perfect global development strategies may be, their true results become visible where people live — in the mahallas.
A sustainable world begins with sustainable societies, and a sustainable society begins with sustainable mahallas.