Uzbekistan to implement $3.3 billion worth of projects during its chairmanship of the Fund for Saving the Aral Sea

133 projects worth $3.3 billion for the chairmanship period

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev reviewed a presentation of projects planned for implementation during Uzbekistan's chairmanship of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea, the press service of the head of state reported (based on Gazeta.uz and Kun.uz). The Fund was established by the Central Asian states in 1993 and ensures coordinated management of water resources in the Aral Sea basin; in 2027–2029, Uzbekistan will hold its chairmanship.

Project content and financing

For the chairmanship period, 133 projects have been developed in the fields of water resources, ecology, and socio-economic development. They provide for the modernization and reconstruction of water management facilities, the introduction of automated systems for water distribution, metering, and monitoring, the creation of a regional digital platform for monitoring hydrometeorological data and forecasting and providing early warning of floods and droughts, as well as improving the population's access to drinking water and sanitation services. The total cost of the projects is $3.3 billion; financing is planned with the support of the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the EBRD, the Green Climate Fund, the Global Environment Facility, and other international organizations.

Presidential instructions and chairmanship priorities

The President instructed that a month-by-month roadmap of work for the coming year be approved and its implementation ensured, and that international experts, professors, and scientists, including compatriots abroad, be engaged in the projects. The priorities of the chairmanship were named as improving the Fund's structure and its contractual and legal framework, clearly delineating the powers of its bodies, strengthening cooperation with Afghanistan, and aligning the Fund's agenda with the decisions of the consultative meetings of the heads of Central Asian states.

Scientific platform and regional initiatives

The Research Institute 'Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Agricultural Mechanization Engineers' will become a research and analytical platform for implementing the Fund's initiatives. To this end, plans include accelerating the introduction of artificial intelligence technologies into the institute's educational and research processes, expanding research in the field of ecological restoration and water conservation, and strengthening the training of specialists. In addition, a unified database on the Amu Darya and Syr Darya basins will be created, projects to combat desertification will be developed jointly with scientists from the region, investments and grants will be attracted, and bachelor's and master's degree programs in water management will be launched for Central Asian countries and Afghanistan.