The project aims to enhance Tajikistan’s water and irrigation infrastructure and management systems, ensuring sustainable and efficient use of resources in the agriculture sector.
WD News: The Strengthening Water and Irrigation Management (SWIM) Project, funded by the World Bank and EU, has been officially launched in Tajikistan.
“We are excited to see the Government launch the SWIM Project in Tajikistan, which will improve water and irrigation management in the country,” said William Young, Lead Water Resources Management Specialist at World Bank. “This project will accelerate national water reforms, strengthen capacity for water planning, improve irrigation management, including through climate resilience and gender inclusion, and contribute to improved rural livelihoods and food security. This, in turn, will help reduce poverty and promote sustainable development.”
Approved in 2022, the SWIM project is funded by a $30 million IDA grant and a EUR 16.19 million grant from the European Union. It responds to a government request to support implementation of water sector reforms at the national level in order to improve both water resources policy and planning and irrigation management, particularly in the Vakhsh basin, which is the heartland of irrigation in Tajikistan. Vakhsh is a large basin with multiple and complex water sector challenges.
In addition to supporting the ongoing reform process nationally and in the selected river basins, the project will modernise the national irrigation infrastructure and improve the resilience of smaller irrigation systems that are frequently affected by floods and mudflows. The implementation of the Vakhsh river basin plan will ensure the sustainable use of water resources in the region and the protection of downstream ecosystems. Most of the investments will target critical infrastructure within Vakhsh Main Canal and Shurobod Canal irrigation systems.
Investments in irrigation and water management infrastructure will include rehabilitating and modernising canals, pump stations, and water distribution and measurement systems. The project activities will boost the capacity of farmers and Water User Associations (WUAs) to improve on-farm irrigation management, including through training in water-saving technologies and crop management.
Source: World Bank
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