On 28 June, the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation of Kazakhstan, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Kazakhstan, and the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) signed a letter of intent to cooperate on joint development projects in multi-purpose water resources management.
As reported by the EDB Media Centre, as part of the agreement, the EDB plans to allocate approximately US $5.3 million in technical assistance to implement several initiatives including water sector digitalization, the development of regional training centres for state-of-the-art irrigation technologies, piloting modern water-saving technologies, and developing a legal and institutional framework for the water sector.
Kazakhstan is experiencing an increase in water-related disasters, as evidenced by recent severe floods and escalating water shortages caused by new infrastructure projects in neighbouring regions, and to mitigate future risks, must instigate improved irrigation and water management strategies.
Nurzhan Nurzhigitov, Kazakhstan’s Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, commented: “Our Ministry faces many important tasks, one of which is the modernization and improvement of the country’s water management system. For this purpose, a concept and its comprehensive plan outlining specific measures for the development of water infrastructure in Kazakhstan and other large-scale projects were developed and approved. We intend to actively cooperate with international organizations and financial institutions, adopt the best practices of other countries, and jointly implement large projects that will bring benefits for decades to come. Today’s agreement is another step in this direction.”
Nikolay Podguzov, Chairman of the EDB Management Board, added: “We are on the verge of a water shortage in Central Asia – this is a complex regional challenge, but we are tackling it. This is the call we want to convey to all interested parties. We must act very quickly and together. We have only five years to get the region ready and avoid severe water shortages. To timely inform all interested parties, we have done significant work and will keep working to expand the network of partnerships.”
“Globally, the water sector suffers from insufficient funding and investment,” highlighted Sukhrob Khojimatov, UNDP Resident Representative a.i. in Kazakhstan. “Today, less than 10% of global investment goes into water infrastructure. In this context, we are encouraged by this partnership, which we believe will help address complex issues in water management, strengthen climate resilience, and develop regional cooperation in Central Asia under the water agenda.”
