Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved a concessional loan of US$200 million to Uzbekistan to implement a project aimed at modernizing irrigation and drainage infrastructure and improving the quality of irrigation services for farmers.

The project’s goal is to reduce water losses and increase the energy efficiency of irrigation systems in five regions of the country. The Government of Uzbekistan will additionally contribute US$23.2 million to co-finance the project.

This project will serve as the first phase of the World Bank’s regional program designed to enhance the efficiency of water resource use and conservation in Central Asian countries.

Due to its arid climate, Uzbekistan has an acute need for irrigation, which supports about 25% of the country’s GDP and employment. The primary water sources are the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers, from which water is delivered to fields through an extensive canal network. Since agriculture consumes roughly 90% of the country’s total water resources, efficient water use is a critical priority.

The water deficit in Uzbekistan is expected to worsen due to declining glacier runoff, increased evaporation, irregular rainfall, and more frequent droughts. Forecasts indicate that available water resources could decrease by 30–40%, while the demand for irrigation services may increase by 25%, placing additional pressure on water systems.

Much of Uzbekistan’s irrigation infrastructure is outdated, causing significant water losses, uneven distribution of resources across regions, and poor service quality for farmers.

Approximately 2.4 million hectares of agricultural land (56% of all irrigated land) depend on water supplied via pumping stations. The country operates around 1,700 such stations, which consume about 7.2 billion kWh of electricity annually—around 16% of the nation’s total energy consumption.

Tatiana Proskuryakova, World Bank Director for Central Asia, noted, “Through this project, the World Bank will support the implementation of Uzbekistan’s Water Management Development Concept for 2020–2030, which envisages the creation of water- and energy-efficient infrastructure in the irrigation sector. The planned activities will increase agricultural productivity, improve the welfare of water users, and create new jobs in the irrigation and agro-industrial sectors.”

Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Water Resources will implement the project in the Republic of Karakalpakstan, as well as in the Bukhara, Kashkadarya, Namangan, and Surkhandarya regions. By 2031, significant improvements in the efficiency of the water management sector in these areas are expected due to the modernization of irrigation and drainage infrastructure and enhancement of service quality.

Key project activities include:

The concreting of 259 kilometers of eight major main canals connected to the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers using modern water-saving materials, including geomembranes.

Reprofiling and raising canal bed levels to enable gravity-fed water supply and reduce the need for pumps where possible.

Construction of about 470 hydraulic structures to improve water distribution control along the canals.

Installation of regulated water outlets with flow meters and implementation of a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system for efficient water management.

Expected outcomes:

Improved quality of irrigation services over an area of 232,000 hectares, leading to increased crop yields.

Reliable access to irrigation services for 180,000 water users, including 80,000 women.

Reduction of annual water losses by approximately 540 million cubic meters, enhancing the rational use of water resources.

Energy savings exceeding 165 million kWh per year, which will improve energy efficiency and reduce operational costs.