The project is being prepared in cooperation with government institutions, the Chu-Talas Water Commission, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and other partners, with support from UNDP as a GEF implementing agency. UNDP will accompany the project development process and provide technical and organizational support. The project preparation will focus on strengthening water-use efficiency, water and climate resilience, ecosystem protection, and the development of potential investment opportunities across the Chu and Talas river basins. 

The Chu and Talas River Basins are important to the socio-economic development of the region, supporting agriculture, local economies, ecosystems, and livelihoods of more than three million people. 

For many years, government institutions, the Chu-Talas Water Commission, UNDP, UNECE, GEF and other partners have supported research, monitoring, institutional capacity building and knowledge exchange in the basins. The new initiative provides an opportunity to build on this accumulated knowledge and identify practical solutions for their further sustainable development. 

Representatives of Water Resource Service said: “The Kyrgyz Republic is a mountainous country, where over 90 percent of the territory is occupied by mountain ecosystems. Today, these ecosystems are becoming among the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. We are witnessing rapid glacier melting, land degradation, and increasing water scarcity.” 

Environmental sustainability and climate change adaptation are becoming increasingly important to the region’s development agenda. The project can contribute to regional cooperation based on good-neighbourly relations, mutual respect and practical collaboration, including through modern solutions, expert cooperation, and investment opportunities. 

Patrick Haverman, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in the Kyrgyz Republic, said:  

“This project reflects trust and a shared commitment to systemic solutions. We are pleased to continue working with partners on practical implementation of Kyrgyzstan’s national priorities and international commitments, from biodiversity, climate and water resilience to the broader sustainable development agenda that underpins the country’s long-term resilience.” 

Beyond this project, together with the Ministry of Finance and the  Water Resources Service under the Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture and Processing Industry of the Kyrgyz Republic, UNDP will support the integration of basin plans into medium-term and annual budgeting processes, as well as strengthen the capacity of basin administrations and basin councils in financial planning and investment assessment.  

The preparatory process will involve government institutions, specialized organizations, the scientific and expert community, development partners, financial institutions, and civil society. UNDP will provide technical and organizational support to ensure that participants’ proposals, which enable the development of a realistic and investment-attractive project capable of supporting the efficient use of water resources, climate resilience and the conservation of ecosystems. 

 For reference: The Agreement between the Governments of the Kyrgyz Republic and the Republic of Kazakhstan on the Use of Water Management Facilities on the Chu and Talas Rivers was signed on 21 January 2000. The Agreement provides an important legal basis for cooperation between the two countries on the joint use and operation of water management infrastructure on the Chu and Talas Rivers.