ASTANA (TCA) — Irrigation systems in four regions of Kazakhstan will be reconstructed through loans from international financial institutions, Novosti-Kazakhstan reported with reference to National Economy Minister Kuandyk Bishimbayev.
“To reconstruct farmland drainage and irrigation systems, in June the Ministries of Agriculture and National Economy approved a joint action plan to attract loans under the state guarantee from the Islamic Development Bank and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development for projects totaling 106 billion tenge or $314.1 million,” Bishimbayev said at the Government meeting on July 8.
In his words, this money will allow this year to start implementing projects in four Kazakhstan provinces — South Kazakhstan, Almaty, Zhambyl, and Aktobe provinces — on a total area of more than 183 thousand hectares.
It was earlier reported that the Islamic Development Bank was to allocate more than $300 million for two water projects in Kazakhstan.
One of the projects, worth more than $235 million, will reconstruct the drainage and irrigation systems in Kazakhstan. The project will be co-financed by the United Nations Development Programme.
The project will reconstruct irrigation systems on an area of 58 thousand hectares in several districts of the Almaty province and ameliorate the soil on an area of 92.5 thousand hectares in the Maktaral and Shardara districts of the South Kazakhstan province.
