Asian Development Bank to allocate money to fight floods and drought

The Asian Development Bank will allocate money for upgrading and proper maintenance of irrigation infrastructure facilities in Kyrgyzstan. The project's goal is to increase the resilience of the population to the effects of climate change and reduce disaster risks. Ratification of the grant and concessional loan agreements is being discussed today in the Parliament of Kyrgyzstan.
According to government representatives, the total budget of the project is $ 43.6 million, $ 38.6 million of which is allocated by ADB. $ 16.8 million is a grant, $ 21.8 million is a soft loan. $ 5 million is the contribution of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic in the form of exemption from taxes and fees.
Related news ADB predicts acceleration of economic growth in Kyrgyzstan The loan will be granted for a period of 32 years, including eight years of a grace period with an interest rate of 1 percent per annum.
The project consists of three components: modernization of irrigation infrastructure, improvement of the management of the irrigation system and agricultural land, and strengthening of the capacity on management of natural disasters at the national level.
The Ministry of Agriculture has proposed 12 state water management facilities. ADB specialists have preselected four irrigation systems with 30 mudflow protection facilities and 200 kilometers of on-farm canals, which are supposed to be rehabilitated.
The irrigation system of "Right branch" canal in Nooken district of Jalal-Abad region was selected as a pilot one.
Rehabilitation will also be carried out on canals concentrated in Fergana valley, in the south of the country, and in the basin of Chu river in the north. These are areas where floods, landslides and drought occur.
Deputies ask to clarify the issue about a consulting company. It turned out that it was hired by the Asian Development Bank.