Uzbekistan - The Times Of Central Asia

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By 2035, the Capacity of Hydroelectric Power Plants in Central Asia Will Increase by 8,900MW

By 2028-2029, Central Asia will face a permanent and persistent water scarcity, with a deficit estimated to be between 5-12 cubic kilometers annually. At the same time, the demand for electricity in Central Asia is expected to increase significantly over the next ten years, Nikolai Podguzov, Chairman of the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) Management Board said this week at the World Hydropower Congress in Bali. "In the Central Asian region, hydropower plays a key role not only in generating electricity, but also in regulating river runoff for irrigation purposes,” Podguzov stated. “In this regard, the countries of the region are interested in the multipurpose use of their water resources, and wish to attract investment to develop water resources potential". According to Podguzov, the construction of new hydroelectric power plants with reservoirs and the modernization of already functioning HPPs will both serve to reduce the impact of climate change and ensure the steady economic and social development of the region, which is highly reliant on affordable, environmentally-friendly energy and a sustainable irrigation supply. "According to our estimates, Central Asia is one of the few regions in the world where the hydropower potential has been developed by less than 25%”, Podguzov said. “Currently, there are more than 80 hydroelectric power plants operating in the region, with a total installed capacity of about 14,000 MW. In the period up to 2035, it is planned to increase the capacity of local hydroelectric power plants by 8,900 MW through the modernization of already functioning HPPs and the construction of new ones. The largest new projects being implemented include the construction of the 1,860 MW Kambarata HPP-1 in the Kyrgyz Republic, and the 3,600 MW Rogun HPP in Tajikistan”.

USAID Announces the Launch of Tuberculosis-Free Uzbekistan

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), in partnership with Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Health and Abt Associates, is launching TB-Free Uzbekistan, a five-year initiative investing $18 million to provide comprehensive support services and increase access to key tuberculosis (TB) services across the country. Uzbekistan is dealing with high rates of multidrug-resistant TB, which pose a significant threat to Uzbekistan’s public health system and the country’s economic development. Uzbekistan is making steady progress, but TB remains one of its most pressing public health threats. According to Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Health, in 2022, 8% of new TB cases in the country had resistance to two of the most commonly used and effective treatment drugs. USAID leads the U.S. Government’s global TB efforts, and has been a partner to the Government of Uzbekistan in the fight against TB. As the world’s largest bilateral donor, USAID uses new innovations and research to accelerate efforts to end TB. USAID had a robust presence at the United Nations high-level meeting on TB on September 22nd, 2023. USAID’s Assistant Administrator for Global Health, Atul Gawande, participated in multiple events, culminating in a high-level meeting at which he launched the Global Accelerator to End TB Plus, an enhanced package of interventions that will accelerate the development of strategies to achieve a more accountable, responsible, and inclusive TB response. From 1993 to 2023, the total amount of the U.S. Government assistance to Uzbekistan in health has totaled over $155 million of which nearly $60 million was focused on TB mitigation.

ADB Helps Support Privatization, Expand Lending to MSMEs in Uzbekistan

According to a press release by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the bank, in partnership with Sanoat Qurilish Bank (SQB) have signed a $50 million senior convertible loan to support Uzbekistan’s privatization of state-owned banks, which will strengthen the banking sector, and contribute to economic growth and job creation. The International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) are parallel lenders. The loan will be used to help SQB expand its financing to underserved micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), including those owned or led by women (WMSMEs). Portfolio diversification will contribute to SQB's transition into a fully universal commercial bank by serving a broader customer segment. ADB will also provide technical assistance to help SQB implement its transformation roadmap. “ADB fully supports the Government of Uzbekistan in its transformation to a vibrant and inclusive market economy and its implementation of banking sector reforms”, said ADB’s Director General of the Private Sector Operations Department, Suzanne Gaboury. “This project will support the stability of the country’s banking system, capitalization and deposit levels, while strengthening resilience and lending to climate projects and underserved MSMEs and WMSMEs”. According to ADB’s Uzbekistan Country Director, Kanokpan Lao-Araya, “MSMEs continue to struggle to secure commercial financing to fund their growth, with women-owned enterprises being the most affected. ADB is supporting an enabling environment in Uzbekistan for MSMEs gain easier access to markets, as well as providing much needed financing to close the financing gap for MSMEs. ADB’s partnership with SQB builds on those two objectives”. MSMEs play a significant role in Uzbekistan’s economy, comprising the majority of registered businesses and employing 74% of the workforce. However, access to financing remains a challenge, with only 13% of the sector having access to commercial loans. Women-led businesses face an even greater financing gap, estimated at $2.7 billion, with loans to women-owned businesses making up just 2.5% of total bank loans.

UNDP Outlines Approach for Green Transition

As outlined in a press release on its website, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has embarked on a mission to apply foresight to its programme activities, with an initial focus on the Green Transition. This approach seeks to envision alternative futures and explore their implications for policy development. UNDP aims to foster collaboration by engaging government agencies, think tanks, NGOs, and the private sector, incorporating diverse perspectives into the decision-making process, UNDP Uzbekistan said. Matilda Dimovska, UNDP Resident Representative in Uzbekistan highlighted that "We are proud to announce the first exercise on Green Transition Foresight in Uzbekistan as a groundbreaking milestone. By uniting various stakeholders, we have fostered a collaborative environment that has yielded thought-provoking outcomes in the form of drivers of change, scenarios, and potential implications. Our objective is not to predict specific outcomes, but rather to stimulate critical thinking, question prevailing assumptions, and uncover influential forces that can shape policies for a sustainable future in the world of uncertainties". Through a series of engaging online and in-person interactions from 2022 to 2023, futurologists, UNDP experts, and government partners utilized the University of Houston's Foresight Framework. This collaborative effort involved domain mapping, scanning for signals of change, generating drivers of change, modeling alternative future scenarios, and identifying actionable ideas to support ongoing government reforms. Among the identified ideas are the development of a national tariff system, prioritizing youth involvement in the green economy, focusing on internal capacity building, and fostering cross-government coordination. Building on the insights gained, UNDP plans to continue experimentation and prototyping, allowing for the development of adaptable strategies and policies. By employing narrative scenarios, UNDP aims to ensure resilience and responsiveness to unforeseen challenges. UNDP remains committed to providing necessary assistance in leveraging foresight and scenario-based approaches in policymaking to enable transformative change. Through these efforts, UNDP is dedicated to supporting Uzbekistan in navigating the complexities of the Green Transition and building a sustainable future.

Teen Jailed for Derogatory Post About President Mirziyoyev

A Samarkand regional court has sentenced a 19-year-old Uzbek individual to two-and-a-half years in prison for derogatory comments aimed at President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in an Instagram post featuring the presidential family, some of whom hold significant political and business positions, as per RFE/RL's Uzbek Service. Dilshod Iskandarov becomes the latest among at least three Uzbeks convicted within the last year under a criminal statute related to insulting or defaming the president. Iskandarov reportedly deleted the post following warnings from relatives about its potential consequences.

EDB Proposes Ten Steps to Preserve Irrigated Land Potential and Support Water Conservation in Central Asia

As outlined in a press release on the EDB website, in the summer of 2023, Central Asia was faced once again with water shortages, which have a significant impact on agriculture. The sector relies on irrigation, which consumes up to 80% of available water, and has a poor track record with regard to the efficient use of water resources. The irrigation infrastructure is over 50 years old. More than half of all irrigated land has become salinized, and 40% of water is lost through irrigation canals. A new Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) study entitled “Efficient Irrigation and Water Conservation in Central Asia” outlines ten practical steps for preserving irrigated land potential and promoting water conservation. The list includes four recommendations for adoption at a regional level and six at a national level. The measures are designed to save enough water each year to support sustainable development. Implementing the measures will require collaboration between governments, farmers and multilateral development institutions. The need for urgent action is intensified by the anticipated reduction in the flow of the Amu Darya River. Water deficit is a key structural constraint to socio-economic development in Central Asia. This region is among the most vulnerable to climate change, with temperatures rising at a faster rate than the global average. Periods of drought and low water are becoming more frequent, and the hydrological patterns of rivers and groundwater supplies are undergoing change. Glacier areas have been diminishing rapidly, with a 30% decrease over the last 50 years. Climate change is leading to reduced river flows at a time when the region’s demand for water is growing rapidly. The primary solution to the water deficit lies in improving irrigation practices. Agriculture in Central Asia is the largest consumer of water, with irrigation accounting for 100.4 km3 of the total 127.3 km3 (80%) of water used in the region in 2020. Historically, irrigation has played a vital role in developing agriculture and ensuring food security in the region. Central Asia boasts 10.1 million hectares of irrigated land, representing approximately 2.9% of the world’s total. This irrigated land generates nearly 66% of the region’s gross agricultural output in terms of value. However, Central Asia’s irrigation infrastructure is highly degraded and technically inadequate. It lacks the equipment needed for metering and distributing water for irrigation and controlling its use in the field. The average age of the irrigation infrastructure is over 50 years. Up to half of irrigated land is salinized. Water use in agriculture is inefficient, with 40% of water lost in the irrigation canal system. A commitment to conserving water appears to be the only solution to protecting the potential of irrigated land and food security in Central Asia. This shift in approach is imperative not only because of climate change and escalating water demand, but also to mitigate the anticipated decrease in the flow of the Amu Darya River from Afghanistan. By 2028, the combined effects of climate change, low-water periods and the commissioning of the Kosh-Tepa Canal in...