The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Union are helping to improve water conveyance infrastructure for better water resource management, promote sustainable agriculture and create new jobs in Kyrgyzstan by financing the reconstruction and automation of a section of the Western Great Chui Canal, the EBRD announced.
A financial package of up to €23.8 million is being provided under the EBRD’s Regional Integrated Water Resources Management Framework for the Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan, which was approved by the EBRD’s Board of Directors in 2024. This package consists of an EBRD sovereign loan of up to €15.23 million, an EBRD grant of €5 million and an EU grant of €3.6 million under its Asia Pacific Investment Facility.
Commissioned in 1958, the Western Great Chui Canal is the largest irrigation system in the Kyrgyz Republic, stretching 145 km across the north of the country and watering around 82,000 hectares. This project will help to create sustainable, climate-resilient infrastructure, in line with the country’s national irrigation program. The funds will be used to renovate the canal, introduce metering and automated water distribution, and improve water management systems.
It is vital to the country’s agricultural sector, which accounts for almost 18 per cent of GDP and just under half of total employment.
