BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, January 24. Concerns over the availability of water for agricultural and human consumption have prompted a partnership between Kyrgyzstan and the World Bank (WB), Trend reports.
Almazbek Sokeev, Deputy Minister of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Processing Industries, met with Tatiana Proskuryakova, Regional Director of the World Bank in Central Asia, and Hugh Riddel, World Bank Country Manager in Kyrgyzstan, to discuss solutions for the country’s water supply challenges.
Kyrgyzstan and the WB also spoke about the latter's ten-year
plan to upgrade the country's irrigation system. Low payment rates
for water, low salaries for water management employees, and water
losses owing to old infrastructure are major obstacles.
The government has stated its intentions to further digitize the
industry, encourage irrigation technologies that conserve water,
and delegate the operation and maintenance of irrigation channels
to local water management agencies. The plan also seeks to
strengthen regional water management offices by providing them with
better tools, better pay, and a more favorable work
environment.
It was also noted that, currently, the ministry is conducting an inventory of water supply systems in three pilot districts where a centralized service model will be tested, combining irrigation and water supply management.
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