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EU, WB allocates funds for water, energy security in Central Asia

Central Asia Materials 23 May 2019 13:57 (UTC +04:00)

Baku, Azerbaijan, May 23

By Fakhri Vakilov – Trend:

Today, the European Union and the World Bank signed an agreement in the capital of Kazakhstan, Nur-Sultan to allocate a new grant of 7 million euros to support measures to strengthen water and energy security in Central Asia, Trend reports via Uzbek media.

The funding provided is a contribution to the Central Asian Water and Energy Program (CAWEP), implemented by the World Bank to support the countries of Central Asia in strengthening water and energy security through knowledge sharing, research, policy advice and project preparation.

“Since water and energy resources are inextricably linked in Central Asia, joint management of these resources is essential for the sustainable development of the region, poverty reduction and resilience to climate change. Through its contribution to CAWEP, the European Union contributes to raising the level of regional dialogue and cooperation of countries on water and energy security issues, which will help them, improve conditions for sustainable investment and socio-economic development,” the EU Ambassador to Kazakhstan Sven-Olov Carlsson said.

Effective strategies and investments will cost less than the economic costs of solving problems in the field of water management.

Kazakhstan, according to estimates, annually loses more than $750 million from an inadequate level of water supply, Kyrgyzstan - $120 million, Uzbekistan - $650 million, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan - more than $300 million.

The entire region of Central Asia loses up to $ 2billion.

Since its launch in 2009, CAWEP has focused on solving these problems and has already achieved significant results. The program has launched new regional projects to address a number of critical issues, including dam safety, climate change adaptation, meteorological forecasting, electricity trading and youth engagement.

Along with the contribution of the European Union, the program is also supported by the Swiss Government and the United Kingdom Department for International Development.

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