The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved $121 million in financing for the first phase of the Kyrgyz Republic Water Supply and Sanitation Universal Access Program. It is part of a multi-phase programmatic approach, with a $400 million financing envelope over the next decade, enabling the Kyrgyz government to provide universal access to and improve the sustainability of water supply and sanitation services across the country.
The project is co-financed by a $50 million credit from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB); a $20 million credit from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Fund; a $9 million grant from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC); and a $3.75 million grant from AIIB.
The first phase of the program, which will be implemented through 2029, will improve the lives of over 450,000 people across 126 villages and small towns in the Chui, Issyk-Kul, and Osh regions of Kyrgyzstan. Most beneficiaries will gain access to piped water through new household connections, while 19,000 vulnerable people will benefit from enhanced sanitation facilities. Additionally, around 115,000 people—primarily children—will see direct benefits from upgrades to sanitation and hygiene facilities in schools and public institutions like health clinics.
“The World Bank is a long-standing partner of the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic in supporting its vision of universal access to potable water and improved sanitation, aligned with its National Development Strategy,” said Hugh Riddell, World Bank Group Country Manager. “Over the next decade, the program will provide access to clean water and sanitation to one million Kyrgyz citizens— directly improving quality of life, strengthening human capital, and boosting prosperity for generations to come.”
