The World Bank has approved $95.75 million in financing for the Kyrgyz Republic National Irrigation Investment Program, a major initiative designed to improve irrigation services, enhance water security, and boost agricultural productivity across selected regions of the country.
The project forms part of a broader effort to modernize the Kyrgyz Republic’s irrigation infrastructure and support climate-resilient agricultural growth. In addition to World Bank funding, the program includes $50 million from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, $20 million from the OPEC Fund, and a $6.25 million grant from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. Together, these contributions bring committed financing to $172 million, with an additional $11 million expected to be mobilized from private investors.
Agriculture remains a critical sector for employment and income in the Kyrgyz Republic, but aging irrigation systems and increasing climate-related challenges have placed pressure on water resources and farm productivity. The new investment aims to address these issues through infrastructure upgrades, improved water management, and stronger institutional capacity.
The project is expected to benefit more than 450,000 people, improve irrigation services across approximately 82,000 hectares of land, and increase water conveyance efficiency from 35 percent to at least 70 percent. Enhanced irrigation services are also projected to support the creation of around 85,000 additional jobs across agricultural value chains.
Implementation will focus on modernizing irrigation and drainage systems, improving water storage and dam safety, introducing smart monitoring technologies, and strengthening the performance of local irrigation service providers. The initiative will be implemented by the Water Resources Service under the Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Processing Industry through 2032.
The investment is part of a larger government-led program expected to mobilize $540 million over the next decade, modernize irrigation services on more than 200,000 hectares, and improve water access and agricultural opportunities for nearly one million people across the Kyrgyz Republic.
