Uzbekistan Joins World Bank's Global Water Security Initiative

Uzbekistan has officially joined the global "Water Forward" initiative, a major program launched by the World Bank Group. The platform aims to secure water access and safety for over one billion people worldwide by 2030 through comprehensive reforms and infrastructure modernization.

The announcement was made during the World Bank's Spring Meetings in Washington, D.C. The event was attended by World Bank President Ajay Banga and United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, alongside representatives from participating nations. Uzbekistan was represented by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, Jamshid Kuchkarov.

The "Water Forward" initiative is designed to support critical reforms in the water sector. Its goals include modernizing aging infrastructure, enhancing resilience to droughts and floods, and expanding access to clean water supply and sanitation services. Through its own programs, the World Bank intends to directly improve water security for 400 million people, with partner contributions expected to extend the total reach beyond one billion.

A core mechanism for implementation will be National Water Compacts, which are policy frameworks developed by participating governments. Uzbekistan has already prepared such a compact in collaboration with the World Bank.

According to Kuchkarov, Uzbekistan's national plan includes ambitious targets: introducing water-saving technologies across all 4.1 million hectares of irrigated land, reducing overall water losses by 25%, ensuring universal access to clean drinking water for its population, and digitalizing national water resource management systems.

The initiative brings together a coalition of leading international financial institutions as partners. These include the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the European Investment Bank (EIB), and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), all of which are actively engaged in projects within Uzbekistan.

By integrating policy reforms, targeted financing, and international cooperation, the "Water Forward" platform seeks to build more reliable water systems. This effort is seen as vital for stimulating sustainable economic growth and creating new jobs in regions facing water scarcity.

The World Bank estimates that approximately four billion people globally currently experience severe water scarcity at least one month per year. This makes investment in resilient water infrastructure a cornerstone of global development efforts in the coming decade.