Azernews.Az

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) Board of Directors approved a loan worth $ 220 million to Uzbekistan for the modernization of irrigation infrastructure in the Bukhara and Navoi regions, as well as a water treatment plant in the Surkhandarya region.

The bank reported that the project will ensure water for 6,500 farms and provide 725,000 people with drinking water.

The project envisages the modernization of four pumping stations and the construction of another new station. This will help reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

Farmers will be trained on how to use drought-resistant seeds and the latest technologies for fruits and vegetable growing in greenhouses. The project will help households to effectively use their land and earn additional income from fruit and vegetable cultivation.

The project will be implemented within six years and it is expected to be completed in February 2020.

According to expert estimates, the project may cost around $ 400 million.

The Uzbek government has also requested $ 100 million from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for co-financing of the project, the ADB said.

Uzbekistan has been an ADB member since 1995. The total amount of loans delivered by the bank for the implementation of around 50 investment projects worth more than $13.5 billion is currently about $5 billion.