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YEARBOOK 2019 ENG.Cdr Section 8 Activities of International Partners in Central Asia WATER YEARBOOK: Central Asia and Around the Globe 8.1. Asian Development Bank The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has provided technical assistance support and made investments in the water sector in the Central Asia region since its rst lending (to Afghanistan) in 1970. Investments to date, totaling US $4.4 billion, include ood management, irrigation and drainage, clean water supply, sanitation, hydropower, institutional reforms, and knowledge and capacity building support. Regional technical assistance support for transboundary water resources management have been more bilaterally, such as the enhanced river basin management in the Chu-Talas (with Kazakhstan and the Kyrgyz Republic) and Pyanj river basin (for Afghanistan and Tajikistan). Acting nationally with invest- across 31 villages. In addition, the program will ments and thinking regionally with technical ensure that detailed designs are completed for assistance support place ADB as a leading de- 12 villages and ready for implementation when velopment partner in the region. additional nancing becomes available. In Uzbekistan, the Second Tashkent Province ADB investments in 2019 have focused on Water Supply Development Project will support irrigation rehabilitation and integrated water rehabilitation and expansion of a regional resources management. Investment approvals water supply system located in the Yangiyul and in 2019 include for Kazakhstan, the Irrigation Chinaz districts of Tashkent province. The Rehabilitation Project which will (1) support the project also supports institutional reforms and rehabilitation and improvement of irrigation capacity building for Tashkent Province networks serving about 171,100 ha of land in Suvokova, the WSS services provider. East Kazakhstan, Karaghanda, Kyzylorda, and Zhambyl provinces; (2) promote the diversica- The Project Readiness Financing (PRF) for tion from traditional low-yielding and low-value urban services projects in Georgia, Pakistan, grain crops into high-value cash crops; and (3) and Uzbekistan will support early preparation of build the capacity of farmers and Kazvodkhoz engineering designs and procurement docu- for improved water and irrigation manage- ments as part of advanced actions prior to pro- ment. This project is ADB’s rst local currency len- ject approval to ensure timely start up and ding directly to a state-owned enterprise in the completion of project activities irrigation sub-sector. In Afghanistan, the Arg- handab Integrated Water Resources Develop- ADB has supported the Central Asia Regio- ment Project will improve the availability and nal Economic (CAREC) Program. A partnership management of water resources in the Arghan- of 11 countries supported by six multilateral dab basin in Kandahar province by (1) increa- institutions,55 it is working to promote develop- sing the storage capacity of the Dahla Dam by ment through cooperation, leading to accele- raising its height, (2) increasing the reliability of rated growth and poverty reduction. In 2017, irrigation water supplies downstream of the CAREC introduced agriculture and water as a dam, (3) improving agriculture water producti- key pillar under the CAREC 2030 Strategy. This vity by providing on-farm support to farmers to now provides a conducive and trusted platform improve crop production, and (4) strengthe- to engage in addressing water scarcity and ning institutions in water resource management. water productivity issues as a step towards future cooperation on regional water resources Efforts continue to improve water supply and management. In 2019, ADB held the rst CAREC sanitation (WSS) infrastructure and services in side session in Tashkent, Uzbekistan involving Central Asia. In 2019, ADB approved a results- development partners to discuss opportunities based lending (RBL) operation to the Kyrgyz for advancing water cooperation in the region. Republic for the Naryn Rural Water Supply and As a follow-up, ADB will help conduct a scoping Sanitation Development Program. The program study to outline the water pillar and its key will cover 64,000 people in Naryn and will objectives. support the design, construction, and rehabili- tation of WSS facilities and institutional capacity ADB, in partnership with ICID and Indonesian to provide sustainable and safe WSS services National Committee for ICID supported the 55 Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, People's Republic of China, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan 182 Section 8. Activities of International Partners in Central Asia 3rd World Irrigation Forum (1-4 September 2019, share experiences on the importance of sus- Bali, Indonesia). This provided a suitable oppor- tainable agricultural water management. tunity for participation by government repre- sentatives from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Source: Asian Development Bank Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan to collaborate and 8.2. Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is a multilateral development bank with a mission to improve social and economic outcomes in Asia. Headquartered in Beijing, AIIB began operations in January 2016 and have now grown to 100 approved members worldwide. AIIB has approved a US $3.2 million loan for the Water related activities in 2019 Obigarm-Nurobod Road Project (October). The In October, AIIB initiated a Call for Public Con- Obigarm-Nurobod road section of the existing sultations on its Draft Water Sector Strategy. AIIB M41 highway will be inundated once the Rogun invited a diverse stakeholder group to provide HPP reservoir is lled to operating levels and will their comments and suggestions on the pro- require construction of a new 76-km M41 high- posed approach to the water strategy. The Wa- way alignment through mountainous terrain. ter Sector Analysis provides additional informa- Task is divided in three sections between AIIB, tion regarding how the draft strategy was de- EBRD and ADB. AIIB will nance Section 3, which veloped and how the draft strategy will be im- includes an approximately 800-m bridge over plemented once approved. In December, 18 the Rogun HPP Reservoir, and 640 m of roadway civil society organizations from 12 countries of approaches to the bridge. The objective of the Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas submit- Project is to maintain and improve connectivity ted to the AIIB initial comments on the proposed between Dushanbe, the northeast region of draft strategy with a hope to start meaningful Tajikistan and the Kyrgyz Republic via the M41 consultations on key environmental and social highway. AIIB also continued co-nancing the issues specic to river basin management and Nurek Hydropower Rehabilitation, Phase I pro- water infrastructure development. ject that was approved in 2017 (US $60 million) Projects in Central Asia in 2019 In 2019, AIIB has approved co-nancing of AIIB has approved a US $46.7 million loan for the US $82 million for the Prosperous Villages Project construction and operation of a 100-megawatt in Uzbekistan seeking to improve access to ba- wind power plant in southern Kazakhstan which, sic infrastructure and services by rural popula- when completed, will be the largest in Central tion in the Ferghana Valley and other lagging Asia (December). The Zhanatas wind power regions of the country. The Bank has been also plant, supported by a Memorandum of Under- considering for nancing the Bukhara Region standing between AIIB and the Ministry of Ener- Water Supply and Sewerage in Uzbekistan, gy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, will, on a year- which was approved in April 2020 (a US $ 385.1 ly basis, provide the country approximately 319 million sovereign loan). gigawatt hours of renewable energy and re- duce carbon dioxide emissions by 260,623 tons. Source: https://www.aiib.org/en/index.html 8.3. European Bank for Reconstruction and Development The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) was established in 1991. It European Bank invests in projects facilitating the transition to for Reconstruction and Development open market, as well as the development of business activity. The EBRD work in Central Asian water supply, wastewater treatment, RES, and countries on water issues is very broad, including increased climate resilience. 183 WATER YEARBOOK: Central Asia and Around the Globe In Kazakhstan, EBRD focuses on diversication, (currently being adopted). In addition, EBRD balancing the role of state and market and and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic sustainable energy. To date, the cumulative Affairs (SECO) allocated funds for the Rehabili- EBRD investments in 264 projects in Kazakhstan tation Program at the Khujand Wastewater amount to €8,422 million. Current portfolio of Treatment Plant began in late 2018. The invest- projects is €2,732 million. ment was supported by grants from EBRD and SECO collectively worth US $1.4 million. In No- In 2019, the Kazakhstan Renewables Frame- vember, EBRD launched Green Economy Finan- work, worth US $300 million, was expanded to US cing Facility (GEFF) Tajikistan (GEFF Tajikistan), $345 million. EBRD has allocated about US $100 which will offer loans for investments in high- million for the construction of solar power plants performing technologies that improve the use in southern Kazakhstan: 100 MW plant in Zham- of water, energy and land resources in Tajikis- byl province, 10 MW plant in the Zhanakorgan tan. GEFF Tajikistan is supported by EU, GCF and District, and
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