ADB's Work in Central and West Asia

Livable Cities

In 2022, ADB’s investments focused on delivering better water and wastewater services and improving air and water quality.

In Tajikistan, ADB committed $38 million grant financing for an ongoing project working to improve quality of life and health outcomes in the capital Dushanbe. The project is rehabilitating and expanding climate-resilient water and sanitation infrastructure , and improving sewerage services.

In Uzbekistan, ADB helped establish a public–private partnership (PPP) that will improve water and air quality in Namangan, the country’s third-largest city. The $96 million project will improve water quality in the Syr Darya River and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It is expected to provide a template for future wastewater PPPs for Uzbekistan and in other DMCs.

Rural Development and Food Security

ADB has made significant investments across Central and West Asia to ensure food availability, shore up rural livelihoods and productivity, and foster agricultural market knowledge sharing.

The bank provided $50 million to the Kyrgyz Republic to underpin food security, stabilize prices of basic foodstuffs, and protect the livelihoods of vulnerable rural groups. At least 7,000 farmers and agribusiness enterprises will receive loans to assist in increasing food production.

In Tajikistan, ADB committed $50 million to help small-scale farmers increase food production and productivity through water- and energy-saving technologies. The financing is assisting the Government of Tajikistan to ensure supply of agricultural and food products for the country’s 9.7 million people.

To drive cross-border trade in rural produce, ADB provided technical assistance for strengthening international food safety standards in the region’s agricultural value chains. An associated report detailed the status of food safety systems in the region and provided recommendations for reforms, investment planning, and capacity development.

Strengthening Governance

In 2022, ADB supported Central and West Asian DMCs through reforms to public financial management, new approaches to fiscal sustainability, and further capital market development.

In Turkmenistan, ADB delivered a training program to strengthen the capacity of government officials for financial management, and in applying environmental and social safeguards within projects.

In Armenia and Georgia, ADB provided commitments to increase fiscal resilience by building on earlier support.

In Armenia, a $100 million program will further strengthen fiscal management, improve money and securities market infrastructure, and promote capital markets. Meanwhile, in Georgia, a $104.1 million program is strengthening institutional capacity to manage fiscal risks associated with state-owned enterprises, PPPs, and the impacts of natural hazards.

In the Kyrgyz Republic, ADB committed $50 million for a program to accelerate economic diversification. Reforms under the program will promote trade competitiveness, develop the nonmineral sector, support small and medium-sized enterprises, and facilitate infrastructure PPPs.

In Pakistan, ADB signed a $300 million loan to further develop capital markets, promote private investment, and help mobilize domestic resources. The loan supports policy actions to strengthen market stability and attract investor capital.

Regional Cooperation

ADB supported initiatives to improve regional health systems and enhance transit and trade corridors in Central and West Asia in 2022.

ADB published the CAREC Health Strategy 2030 to guide cooperation on health security in the region. The strategy is built around improving leadership and workforce capacities; enhancing surveillance and laboratory infrastructure; ensuring emergency demand is met; and bolstering services.

Given its crossroads location, the Kyrgyz Republic is critical to regional health security. For this reason, ADB committed $30 million in 2022 to strengthen its health infrastructure and resilience to infectious diseases through a network of public health and clinical diagnostic laboratories.

ADB also provided substantial financing to upgrade roads vital to cross-border transport and regional connectivity.

In Uzbekistan, a $273.9 million loan will reconstruct and upgrade roads forming part of CAREC Corridor 2, which connects Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, the Russian Federation, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. In Tajikistan, additional grant financing of $43.2 million will rehabilitate road sections linking to Asian Highway 66, a vital connection between Asian and European countries.

To help reduce persistently high road fatality and injury rates, ADB produced a report on improving road designs and upgrades, which it presented at regional forums and workshops.