TASHKENT, February 7, 2014 - Today the World Bank and the Government of Uzbekistan signed a US$12.699 million grant agreement provided by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to finance the Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change Mitigation Project.
On behalf of Global Environment Facility the grant agreement was signed by Saroj Kumar Jha, World Bank’s Country Director for Central Asia, as the Bank is GEF’s implementing agency.. “This Project will promote the introduction of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies of relevance to agribusinesses and farms, and strengthen capacity for improving degraded irrigated land and water conservation in Andijan, Bukhara, Jizzak, Kashkadarya, Samarkand, Syrdarya, Tashkent, and Fergana regions,” said Mr. Jha.
According to Uzbekistan's Second National Communication on Climate Change (2010), intensive warming has been observed over the entire country. With further acute water scarcity predicted for extremely warm and dry years, flows in the Syr Darya and Amu Darya River Basins might decrease. The activities envisaged under the new GEF grant would contribute to mitigating and adapting to water scarcity, land degradation, and increased greenhouse gas emission risks.
The project components include: Promoting Renewable Energy Technologies (GEF US$9.0 million), Promoting Technologies and Practices to Mitigate Irrigated Land Degradation (GEF US$1.09 million), and Providing Advisory Services and Project Management (GEF US$2.60 million)
Uzbekistan joined the World Bank in 1992. The World Bank’s mission in the country is to improve people’s livelihood by supporting economic reforms, contributing to the modernization of the country’s social sectors and infrastructure, and sharing its knowledge and experience with the government and the people of Uzbekistan. The World Bank’s current commitments to Uzbekistan amount to over US$1 billion.
