Wastewater treatment - The Times Of Central Asia

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Kazakhstan Establishes Coordination Council of Partners for Water Sector Development

Kazakhstan has established a Coordination Council of Partners for the Development of the Water Sector. It includes the Kazakh Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation representatives, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and other international organizations and financial institutions. According to the ministry, the Coordination Council will coordinate the actions of government agencies, UNDP, international financial organizations, and donor communities according to national priorities in the water sector. The Council will mobilize and effectively distribute financial and technical resources to achieve the goals. The Council will support developing and implementing strategic documents, such as the Water Code, the Concept for the Development of the Water Resources Management System, and the Comprehensive Water Sector Development Plan, as well as strengthening the legislative framework and institutional mechanisms for sustainable water management. By implementing best international practices and innovative solutions in water resources management, the Council will organize the exchange of knowledge and experience, increase the capacity of specialists, and inform citizens about sustainable water resources management principles. Another key task for the Council is strengthening regional cooperation in water resources management and increasing resilience to climate change and natural disasters such as droughts and floods. Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Nurzhan Nurzhigitov commented: “The establishment of the Coordination Council is an important step for the water sector in Kazakhstan. By coordinating the efforts of the Ministry, international organizations, and donor communities, the Council will play an important role in promoting the country's long-term environmental stability and economic development. The Coordination Council will help mobilize resources, strengthen governance, expand regional cooperation, and promote sustainable water resource management practices. These collective efforts will address growing climate challenges and ensure a stable future for Kazakhstan and Central Asia.” On September 30, the Coordination Council held its first meeting in Astana. The meeting discussed partnerships in managing Kazakhstan's water resources and presented a Water Partnership Initiative for 2024-2030, a joint proposal between the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation and UNDP. The document outlines specific activities, such as developing an information system for water resources, the modernization of water infrastructure to respond to climate challenges, implementing modern irrigation systems, and transboundary water cooperation. Katarzyna Wawiernia, UNDP Resident Representative in Kazakhstan, stated at the meeting: "Given the complexity of the water agenda, it is clear that no single government or organization can tackle these issues alone. Therefore, addressing these challenges requires combining resources, investments, technical expertise, and innovations. I hope that the Partnership Initiative proposed today by UNDP and the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation will be an important catalyst in this process." For decades, Kazakhstan has faced a host of water-related challenges, such as the shrinking Aral Sea, largely caused by decreasing water flows in transboundary rivers, devastating spring floods, and irrigation water shortages in the country’s southern regions.

water saving Wastewater treatment UAE Access to Clean Water Water Management

Uzbekistan and UAE to Build Modern Wastewater Facility

The United Arab Emirates company “Sustainable Water Solutions” (SWS) is to cooperate with Uzbekistan on the construction of a modern wastewater facility in Tashkent. The project includes building a facility with a daily capacity of 1.0 million cubic meters of water and a 42-kilometer wastewater collector in the territory of the Surum mahalla, an administrative centre in Tashkent's Lower Chirchik district. Regarding the scheme, Ahmed Al-Shamsi, head of the SWS company announced: “Our next initiative will prevent water wastage in Uzbekistan. The capacity of the joint facility will be 1,000,000 cubic meters per day at the first stage and 1.5 million cubic meters later. The estimated project cost is one billion dollars." According to reports, the quality of wastewater service provided to 1.5 million people will increase, and more than 500,000 residents and over a hundred enterprises and organizations will be provided with centralized wastewater service. The construction of a 42-kilometer collector allows efficient collection and transportation of wastewater for further treatment. SCADA, a data management and collection system, and GIS,a geographic information system, will be introduced, ensuring effective monitoring and management of cleaning and transportation processes. As a result of this large-scale project, 10 million kilowatts of electricity will be saved, and the sanitary-epidemiological and ecological situation in the Sergeli, Bektemir, and Yangi Hayot districts of Tashkent city will be improved.

Sustainable tourism Wastewater treatment Local Economy Climate Change ADB

ADB Funds Wastewater Management and Sustainable Tourism in Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan

On June 24, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) announced its provision of $56 million to improve wastewater management and enhance sustainable and inclusive tourism in Kyrgyzstan’s Issyk-Kul region. The funding comprises a $25 million concessional loan and a $31 million Asian Development Fund (ADF) grant. The Issyk-Kul region, with its rich ecological and biological diversity and Issyk-Kul Lake, has long been a popular tourist destination, with some 80% of holidaymakers choosing to stay at the lakeside resort of Cholpon-Ata. However, due to its age, the town’s wastewater network currently serves just half of the permanent population and excludes almost a third of tourism facilities. To address the issue, ADB funds will be invested in a climate-resilient infrastructure including a wastewater treatment plant, pumping stations, and improved sewer infrastructure, serving Cholpon-Ata's main resorts, guesthouses, residential and business sectors. In tandem with helping preserve the environment around the lake, the initiative will support local authorities in developing a climate-resilient tourism master plan for the area. The project will also boost the area's tourism infrastructure through the creation of a museum and information centre, improving and conserving the local archaeological heritage site, constructing bike trails and walking paths around the lake's shoreline, upgrading three public parks, and facilitating access to green spaces. ADB Director General for Central and West Asia Yevgeniy Zhukov commented: “Economic growth can be driven by low-carbon tourism built on sound environmental practices and climate-resilient infrastructure. ADB’s project addresses critical challenges faced by Cholpon-Ata’s tourism industry. By integrating environmental improvements and wastewater investments with tourism infrastructure, we are helping shift Kyrgyz Republic to a low-carbon growth trajectory.”

Kazakhstan EBRD Wastewater treatment

EBRD Finances Wastewater Treatment Plant in Kazakhstan

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has announced its commitment to financing the construction of a new wastewater treatment plant and associated infrastructure in Aktobe. The initiative is aimed to address pressing water treatment and environmental issues in Kazakhstan’s fourth-largest city. The EBRD is extending a sovereign loan of up to KZT 47.4 billion (€ 96.4 million) to state-owned JSC Aqtobe Su-Energy Group, a company responsible for centralized water supply, wastewater treatment and district heating in the city. The loan by the EBRD, its largest to date for any municipal project in Central Asia, will also finance the construction of a sludge treatment facility with a biogas-fuelled power generation unit. The new treatment plant will replace the current facility which commissioned in 1984, is now obsolete. With capacity to process up to 100,000 cubic metres of contaminated water per day, it will satisfy the needs of Aktobe’s population of 600,000. The proposed sludge treatment facility, which includes a waste-to-energy unit for the production of green energy to partially cover the area’s electricity consumption, will eliminate odour-related problems, and help reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions by 23,000 tons of CO2 equivalent. It is anticipated that once in operation, the plant will provide a model for replication across Kazakhstan where almost a third of cities are currently without effective wastewater treatment facilities