TASHKENT - Uzbekistan is starting to prepare a project to modernize 95 pumping stations as part of efforts to improve the efficiency of water resource management. The corresponding memorandum was signed by the Ministry of Water Resources of Uzbekistan, the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) and the Eurasian Fund for Stabilization and Development (EFSD) at the Tashkent International Investment Forum, Akchabar.kg reports.
The initiative is being implemented against the backdrop of a persistent funding gap for the water sector in Central Asian countries. According to the EDB study “Drinking water supply and sanitation in Central Asia” for 2024, the annual lack of investment in the industry is estimated at approximately $2 billion.
Bank experts note the high level of deterioration of water supply infrastructure in the region: in some countries it reaches 80%, and water losses amount to up to 55%. One of the key reasons for the current situation is the chronic underfunding of the modernization and development of water facilities.
In Uzbekistan, the project will cover pumping stations in Bukhara, Navoi, Kashkadarya, Samarkand and Surkhandarya regions. As part of the modernization, it is planned to introduce digital monitoring systems and energy-efficient technologies, which will improve the quality of water resource management and reduce energy costs.
Deputy Minister of Water Resources of Uzbekistan Utkir Sheraliev emphasized that pumping stations are the most important element of the irrigation system for agricultural lands. According to him, their renewal will improve the reliability of water supply to the agricultural sector.
Deputy Chairman of the Board of the EDB Alexey Skatin noted that the modernized infrastructure serves thousands of hectares of farmland. He emphasized that investments in such projects can bring an economic effect many times greater than the volume of initial investments.
The EFSD reported its readiness to participate in the preparation of the project, including the provision of technical and expert support, as well as the elaboration of possible financing mechanisms.
It is expected that the modernization of 95 pumping stations will improve the reliability of water supply, reduce electricity consumption and create conditions for further digitalization of the country's water resource management.
CentralAsianLIGHT.org
June 19, 2026