Uzbekistan's water management project receives $19.82mn from Saudi Fund for Development

In a bid to ensure a sustainable supply of water to irrigated lands in the Kashkadarya region, Uzbekistan is undertaking additional measures for the third phase of the "Overhaul of the Karshi Cascade of Pumping Stations" project.

The initiative, in collaboration with the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) and the Fund for Reconstruction and Development of Uzbekistan, aims to modernize water management facilities, optimize electricity consumption, and enhance the efficiency of the project, resolution of the President of Uzbekistan published on Lex.uz.  informs

Valued at $70.7mn, the ongoing project has seen $34.6mn allocated, with $19.82mn borrowed from the SFD and $14.78mn from the Fund for Reconstruction and Development. The Ministry of Water Resources, alongside key ministries and the Kashkadarya regional administration, has proposed utilizing the surplus funds to modernize nine pumping units, acquire seven specialized pieces of equipment, and four dredgers.

The government of Uzbekistan has approved the proposal, with a directive to submit a draft resolution for amending the project's feasibility study by April 1, 2024. The envisioned modifications include concreting technically faulty sections of channels attached to pumping stations. This aims to prevent soil erosion in the channel bed, ensuring efficient water pumping and electricity resource utilization.

Moreover, the undertaking encompasses the concreting of 26 kilometers along the MK-2, Zafarobod, and Kungirtog canals associated with pumping stations in Kamashi and Kasansky districts. This initiative corresponds with Uzbekistan's Program for the Advancement of Social and Industrial Infrastructure, functioning as a trial project in the Kashkadarya region.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Uzbekistan is tasked with facilitating communication with Turkmenistan to issue entry visas for foreign and domestic specialists involved in the project. This international collaboration highlights the significance of regional cooperation in addressing shared water management challenges.