October 1, 2020, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan – The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has announced the launch of a new five year, $24.5 million regional water program, USAID’s Regional Water and Vulnerable Environment, that will strengthen regional cooperation on shared water resources and address current and emerging environmental challenges in the five countries of Central Asia - Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

USAID’s Regional Water and Vulnerable Environment program will promote stability, economic prosperity, and healthy ecosystems in Central Asia by addressing critical water, energy, and agriculture sector linkages, as well as vulnerabilities to climate change.  

USAID has a rich history of supporting Central Asia’s water sector. Over the past decade, USAID played a pivotal role in the introduction of integrated water resources management principles and has demonstrated the benefits of cooperation and effective resource governance. USAID also strengthened community involvement in managing water and contributed to the preparation of a new generation of Central Asian water managers and technicians.

USAID’s new water program will build on the results achieved through USAID’s prior investments in regional water cooperation. The program will coordinate its efforts closely with other international donor projects and seek opportunities to maximize development impacts. It will also work with a range of local and regional partners to build local capacity, facilitate cooperation, implement demonstration activities, and support market-based solutions from the private sector.

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USAID is the world’s premier international development agency and a catalytic actor driving development results. For more information, visit: https://www.usaid.gov/central-asia-regional and USAID’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/USAIDCentralAsia.

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