The project will help countries manage and conserve water more effectively. It is expected that approximately 40 million people will directly or indirectly benefit from the project.

A $20 million grant will be allocated for this purpose. The funds will be channeled through the Executive Committee of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea as part of the «Cooperation for Effective Water Resources Management in Central Asia» program.

Today, the region faces a number of systemic challenges. These include deteriorating infrastructure, weak coordination between countries, and insufficient data exchange on key waterways such as the Amu Darya and Syr Darya. Climate change is exacerbating the situation: over the past 60 years, glaciers have shrunk by 30 percent, directly impacting water supplies.

Experts estimate that weak coordination costs countries over $4.5 billion annually. Meanwhile, the potential for joint resource management and the implementation of digital solutions remains largely untapped.

The project envisages the preparation by 2031 of up to six major initiatives for the development of transboundary water infrastructure with the participation of several countries in the region. Plans include the modernization of irrigation systems, water storage, and coordinated resource management.

Special attention will be paid to digitalization. Plans include updating water metering systems and developing information systems in the Amu Darya and Syr Darya basins. Training of specialists and capacity building for regional organizations are also envisaged.

The World Bank emphasized that sustainable water management is directly linked to economic growth and job creation in Central Asia. The new project should be an important step toward closer cooperation between countries in the region and addressing common water issues.