Additional Financing for Water Supply and Sanitation

Key City Development Issues

The water supply and sanitation systems in Tajikistan’s towns and cities were established under the former Soviet Union and have undergone significant deterioration in years due a combination of age, a lack of further capital investment, and a lack of preventative operation and maintenance. The water supply system, in particular, is characterized by intermittent operation, high non-revenue water (NRW), low pressure, and low energy efficiency. Public health in Tajikistan is generally poor.

In September 2018, the Asian Development Bank provided a $41 million grant assistance for the Dushanbe Water Supply and Sanitation Project (DWSSP). The project aims to to improve inclusive and sustainable access to safe and resilient water supply and sanitation services in the city. The DWSSP is based on the project preparation study (PPS) done by CDIA in 2018, which outlined 20-year road maps for water supply and sanitation, together with a road map for institutional capacity development. Based on the two road maps, CDIA prepared a priority project, which aimed at reducing non-revenue water in Shohmansur district, improving the sanitary condition in the southeastern part of Dushanbe, and pursuing key capacity development measures. The estimated value of the priority project was $75.58 million. With a total value of $41 million, the DWSSP only covers approximately 55% of the CDIA prepared priority project.

Details of Cooperation

At the time of the PPS application, Dushanbe City was seeking a further grant from the ADB with a value of $ 35.0 million. The purpose of the new grant is to continue with the implementation of the CDIA priority project and support the implementation of the critical water supply and sanitation interventions, which were not included in the original project due to the limited funds. The primary objective of CDIA’s follow-up PPS support for the Additional Financing for DWSSP was to update the technical feasibility and preliminary engineering designs for (i) the rehabilitation and expansion of the urban water supply infrastructure including water transmission, pumping stations, storage, distribution system and customer connections; and (ii) the rehabilitation of portions of sewerage main pipeline as well as the expansion of the sewerage system to unserved areas in Shohmansur district.

Expected Development Outcomes

The project will lead to improved access to basic infrastructure and water quality which will ultimately result to improved public health and a more equitable distribution of public services. As such it will directly benefit the urban poor. Furthermore, the project will introduce the concept of urban resilience in the city and will improve the security of public services. The project will directly contribute to the achievement of SDGs 6, 11 and 13.