WASHINGTON, February 27, 2024 – The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors approved today a $45 million financing package for the Kyrgyz Republic Resilient Landscape Restoration Project, which is a part of the regional umbrella RESILAND CA+ Program. The project will be complemented by a $5 million grant from the Global Partnership for Sustainable and Resilient Landscapes (PROGREEN) and a $2.4 million grant from the Korea–World Bank Partnership Facility (KWPF). With a combined financing of $52.4 million, the project aims to increase the coverage of the areas under sustainable landscape management in selected locations in the Kyrgyz Republic and promote regional collaboration among Central Asian countries on transboundary landscape restoration.
“We are pleased to assist the Kyrgyz Republic's Cabinet of Ministers in increasing the resilience of landscapes and communities to climate-induced hazards, and enhancing the government’s capacity in monitoring of glaciers, snow cover, and mudflows and in implementing climate change mitigation and adaptation measures. This project is not only an important step towards building a more resilient future for the people of the Kyrgyz Republic, but it also will have positive spillover effects on neighboring countries,” said Naveed Hassan Naqvi, World Bank Country Manager for the Kyrgyz Republic.
The Kyrgyz Republic Resilient Landscape Restoration Project will directly benefit over 50,000 individuals in rural areas, including women and vulnerable groups across Jalal-Abad, Osh, Issyk-Kul, and Naryn regions.
The project will improve the country's monitoring systems for mudflows, glaciers, and snow cover to guide long-term mitigation efforts. Additionally, it will promote a mix of climate-resilient nature-based solutions and green, grey, and hybrid approaches to landscape restoration and protection in upstream and downstream areas. The project's strategy will have immediate positive regional impacts as most of the project target areas are situated upstream of transboundary rivers. Community involvement will be central to the implementation of green and nature-based solutions through a Green Wager Program that will be used to pay for local labor. There will be a focus on building resilient livelihoods through training and market connections using the proven One Village One Product method in the Kyrgyz Republic.
The Kyrgyz Republic Resilient Landscape Restoration Project is supported through the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank’s concessional lending arm, in the form of a zero-interest credit, with repayments spread out over 50 years and a 10-year grace period. The project will be implemented through 2029 by the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Kyrgyz Republic. Strict international standards, including procurement and financial management regulations and anti-corruption guidelines, will be enforced.
The World Bank’s overall mission is to end extreme poverty and promote shared prosperity on a livable planet. The World Bank’s program in the Kyrgyz Republic currently consists of 24 projects supporting the modernization and development of various sectors, with commitments exceeding $1.1 billion.
