BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 5. Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan are set to receive over $5.354 million from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Trust Fund for the Strengthening Integrated Water Management Project in the Amu Darya, Zarafshon, and Panj River Basins, a source at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) told Trend.
This funding constitutes a segment of the Central Asia Water and Land Nexus (CAWLN) program, executed by the FAO and supported by the GEF Trust Fund. Under this initiative, the GEF will provide financing for projects totaling $26.007 million throughout Central Asia. The total co-financing for the project amounts to $335.504 million. The program commitment deadline is 31 August 2025.
The goal of the CAWLN program is to restore 5,350 hectares of land and ecosystems and implement improved practices on 1.329 million hectares of landscapes. Additionally, it aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 11.118 million tons and enhance cooperative management of shared ecosystems. Furthermore, it is expected to directly benefit 487,000 individuals, with 252,000 men and 235,000 women among them.
According to GEF, Central Asia hosts intricate river systems such as the Amu Darya Basin (spanning Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) and the Syr Darya Basin (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan). These basins are crucial water sources supporting approximately 60 million people, agriculture, energy generation, and diverse ecosystems and livelihoods in these countries. However, they face challenges such as excessive water use, harmful land practices, and resource overuse. The CAWLN program aims to address these issues by promoting water-land nexus approaches and applying them in the Amu Darya and Syr Darya basins.
The program consists of seven projects, including individual ones in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. These projects aim to improve farming and natural resource management by tackling issues like deforestation, land degradation, and loss of biodiversity. Additionally, there's a regional project to coordinate efforts and share knowledge across the basins.
Although Tajikistan won't have its own individual project, the CAWLN program will work with the GEF Tajikistan Ecosystem Restoration and Resilient Agriculture project to collaborate and achieve a greater impact.