Kyrgyzstan: Water Supply and Sanitation Universal Access Project

approved

The Project is proposed to be part of the Water Supply and Sanitation Universal Access Program, designed and co- financed with the World Bank (WB) under a Multiphase Programmatic Approach (MPA) to provide universal access and improve the sustainability of water supply and sanitation services in the Kyrgyz Republic, through three progressive phases. Phase 1 of the WB Program (the Project) will be jointly co-financed by AIIB and WB, with AIIB providing loan to Component 1 for the construction and upgrade of water supply infrastructure with climate-resilient features and priority improvements to on-site sanitation for households and public institutions (schools, hospitals, etc.) and technical assistance, in around 126 rural villages and small towns in Chui, Issyk-Kul, and Osh regions, benefitting around 450,000 people. The Project is planned to have five components as described below: Component 1. Water Supply Investments; Component 2. Sanitation Development; Component 3. Performance-based Service Improvement; Component 4. Program Structuring and Management and Institutional Development Support; and Component 5. Contingent Emergency Response. In addition to the proposed sovereign-backed loan to finance Component 1, AIIB has approved a Project Preparation Special Fund (PPSF) grant of USD 4 million to support the subproject preparation and early implementation under the Project. Through the PPSF grant, AIIB will support the detailed design of subproject with climate mitigation and resilience features, E&S baseline survey and institutional development, to enhance technical readiness and ensure high level of E&S safeguards throughout the envisaged PPSF support to project preparation. AIIB's participation and support in the Project also aim to promote the long-term sustainable development of the Water Supply and Sanitation Sector of the Kyrgyz Republic.