BISHKEK (TCA) — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $27.4 million financing package to provide safe and reliable water supply and sanitation services to more than 64,000 people living in a mountainous rural area of the Kyrgyz Republic, ADB’s Country Office said on November 11.
The program supports the government’s national goal of increasing access to safe water supplies from current levels of 40% to 90%, and for sanitation services from 10% to 70%, by 2026.
ADB’s assistance, comprised of a $13.7 million results-based loan and a $13.7 million grant from the Asian Development Fund, will improve water supply and sanitation infrastructure and facilities in the province of Naryn, where 29% of the population was living below the poverty line in 2017.
“Access to safe and reliable water supply and sanitation services is a basic human right and integral to the growth and development prospects of a developing country like the Kyrgyz Republic,” said ADB Senior Urban Development Specialist for Central and West Asia Mr. Jude Kohlhase. “We are committed to helping the people of the Kyrgyz Republic, especially in the province of Naryn, lead healthier and more productive lives.”
Access to safe drinking water and sanitation services in the Kyrgyz Republic’s rural areas remain minimal. Most of the country’s water supply and sanitation infrastructure is outdated, while poor water quality and sanitation costs the country over $100 million annually. Only about a quarter of rural households had piped water connections in 2014, while about 73% suffered from intermittent water supply. Only 10% of rural households have access to sanitation facilities.
The Naryn Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Development Program will include safe water sources, water storage, and treatment and disinfection systems; distribution networks for all 31 program villages; and gender-sensitive safe water and sanitation facilities in selected education and health facilities. The program will also pilot non-networked household sanitation solutions for remote areas.
The program will likewise strengthen institutional capacity of utility providers for better service delivery such as better financial management, while introducing gender-specific measures in their operations, including ensuring at least 20% female employment.
The total cost of the program is $32.9 million with the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic contributing $5.5 million in financing. ADB is also providing a $225,000 technical assistance grant for the program, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. ADB will also provide an additional $2.5 million grant from a small expenditure financing facility to support program implementation, including verification of the program results.
