EDB Weighs Main Water Challenges Facing Central Asia


(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) ALMATY, Kazakhstan, December 6. Solving nexus [interconnected relationship between water, energy, and food systems] problems is critical to Central Asia's prosperity, Chairman of the Management Board of the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) Nikolai Podguzov said, Trend reports.

He made the remark during the session titled "Partnerships in Central Asia: Addressing global challenges through local lenses" within a conference "Promoting Sustainable Development in Central Asia" today.

"Currently, the region is losing 40 percent of its irrigation water and more than 50 percent of its drinking water. The EEC (Eurasian Development Bank) believes that addressing the Nexus issues is crucial for the well-being of Central Asia," he explained.

Podguzov highlighted that this calls for a holistic game plan.

"It's necessary to address the irrigation water deficit in 5–12 square kilometers. Over the past year, Central Asia has made significant progress.

We also need to provide 10 million people in the region with access to safe drinking water," he mentioned.

He asserts that we must fully utilize the region's hydropower potential to meet the growing demand for energy.

"Solving all these problems requires deep knowledge of the region, unique project expertise, substantial investments, and cooperation," Podguzov added.

The conference serves as a forum for discussing the challenges and opportunities of regional development, as well as for exchanging experiences among international organizations and international financial institutions operating in Central Asia.

The Eurasian Development Bank is an international development finance agency that invests in the economic development, commercial relations, and integration of Eurasian countries. The EDB was established in 2006 and is based in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

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Trend News Agency

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