Kyrgyzstan requires $1.2 billion in investment to resolve drinking water supply issues in 960 villages nationwide, Minister of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Processing Industry Bakyt Torobayev announced during the Rome Water Dialogue 2025. The event took place at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Rome.
According to the ministry, Kyrgyzstan has 2,014 villages, but only 796 currently have access to clean drinking water. While pipeline construction is underway in 258 villages, 960 remain without a reliable supply.
“If we don’t invest the necessary funds today, restoring the lost potential tomorrow will cost three times as much. It’s time to give water the same level of attention as oil and gas,” Torobayev told the international forum.
The minister emphasized that the conservation and rational use of water resources is one of the most urgent challenges in Central Asia. Accelerated climate change and population growth are intensifying water shortages and threatening food security across the region.
Torobayev noted that approximately 10 million people in Central Asia still lack access to clean drinking water. He also cited figures showing that 80% of the region’s water infrastructure is outdated, with water losses reaching up to 55%.
He underscored the importance of protecting Kyrgyzstan’s mountain glaciers, which serve as critical water sources for major regional rivers that supply neighboring countries, including Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
Another urgent issue, according to the minister, is the declining water level in Lake Issyk-Kul, a body of water with regional environmental and climatic significance. “The tragic example of the Aral Sea shows that the loss of natural resources can lead to irreversible consequences. Water security is not only an environmental issue but also a matter of national and global sustainable development,” Torobayev warned.
