The Global Environment Facility (GEF) Trust Fund will provide almost $5.4m to Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan to support their efforts to strengthen integrated water resources management in the Amu Darya, Zarafshan and Panj river basins. This funding is part of the Central Asia Water-Land Linkages (CAWLN) program, implemented by the United Nations (UN) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and supported by the GEF Trust Fund. Under this initiative, GEF will provide financing for projects totaling over $26m across Central Asia. The project will run until August 2025.
The financing will be used to restore 5,350 hectares of land and ecosystems, and also to introduce improved cultivation practices on 1.3 million hectares of land. It also aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by over 11 million tons, and improve co-management of shared ecosystems. The program is projected to improve the lives of 487,000 people.
Central Asia’s complex river systems are the main sources of water for the region’s 60 million people, agriculture, and energy production. They also support diverse ecosystems and livelihoods in these countries. However, unsustainable water use and soil degradation have led to water scarcity and upset the ecological balance of the region.
The program aimed at addressing these negative impacts consists of seven projects, including individual projects in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. They aim to improve agriculture and natural resource management by addressing issues such as tree felling, land degradation and loss of biodiversity. In addition, there is a regional project to coordinate efforts and share knowledge across basins.
Although there is no separate program for Tajikistan, the country will be involved in projects on ecosystem restoration and sustainable agriculture.
The Central Asia Water and Land Resources Complex Program, recently approved by the GEF council and overseen by FAO, will provide $26m (with co-financing from the World Bank of $335.5m) to restore the ecosystems of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya river basins. It will also aim to improve water security, resilience and livelihoods of rural communities in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
Since 1994 Uzbekistan has participated in the implementation of more than 50 GEF projects at the national, regional and international level.
