The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors on June 5 approved US$ 30 million in grant financing from the International Development Association for the Dushanbe Water Supply and Wastewater Project, which will support improved water and wastewater infrastructure, benefitting the residents of selected areas of Tajikistan’s capital city, Dushanbe. The municipality of Dushanbe will also contribute additional financing of US$ 2 million.
“By investing in quality municipal services, such as safe and reliable water supply, the World Bank is supporting Tajikistan’s efforts to develop healthy and productive human capital,” said Jan-Peter Olters, World Bank Country Manager for Tajikistan. “The project will not only invest in infrastructure improvements, but also focus on strengthening the capacity of the service provider — the Dushanbe Vodokanal utility company — to be sustainable and well-equipped to provide improved services for the population.”
The capital city is expanding rapidly: Dushanbe’s population of 846,000 people and its territory of 12,700 ha are expected to double by 2040, requiring significant infrastructure investments, including in water and sewer systems.
According to a recent study, 98 percent of households in Dushanbe have access to improved water sources, but only 61 percent of residents have access to water when they need it. Due to outdated infrastructure, water losses are significant, and service is frequently interrupted.
The new project will be implemented in the Sino District of Dushanbe — the largest and most populated area of the city, with approximately 350,000 residents. It will increase the reliability and safety of water supply in select areas by financing a major upgrade of infrastructure, such as water pipes and booster pumps, and construction of water storage tanks. The project will also prevent the overflow of sewers during extreme weather events and prevent contamination of water, by replacing sewer collections and pipes.
Additionally, the project will help strengthen institutional capacity, including the financial management of the utility company Dushanbe Vodokanal, and will finance the installation of household water meters to increase water conservation, while facilitating the monitoring and billing of water consumption. This component of the project will be complemented by an Asian Development Bank-financed project aimed at strengthening the performance of Dushanbe Vodokanal.
The project will also support the government’s priority investment program, estimated at more than US$ 150 million for the rehabilitation and upgrade of the existing water supply network in the city of Dushanbe.
Since 2002, the World Bank has invested around US$ 50 million to increase the reliability and safety of drinking water for the residents of Dushanbe. This support has ranged from emergency measures aimed at water disinfection, to rehabilitation of major water treatment plants such as Napornaya and Samotechnaya, to improve the safety of water and reliability of water supply services, and installation of water meters to increase water use efficiency and billing.
