TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, August 15. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) plans to grant a loan of $180 million for the resilient Amu Darya river basin sector development program in Uzbekistan, Trend reports.
According to the bank, a total of $130 million will be granted as concessional ordinary capital resources and $50 million for ordinary capital resources.
The project will help to undertake a long-term and strategic approach to deliver climate adaptive solutions for water resources management in the Amu Darya river basins in Uzbekistan. Predicted climate change impacts include increased temperatures, increased frequency and severity of extreme events such as floods and droughts, and a reduction of water availability and increased variability of water flows in the major river basins.
The ADB noted that the decreasing availability and increased water requirements by different sectors are leading to a growing seasonal and absolute supply-demand gap. The water imbalance will contribute to the instability of agricultural production.
Within the framework of the project, it is planned to create reservoirs to reduce the risks of drought and floods, improve irrigation, improve agriculture practices, and improve management of the reservoir and related project components.
Uzbekistan joined the ADB in 1995. The bank has provided loans, grants, and technical assistance amounting to $12.5 billion to Uzbekistan.
