Ust-Kamenogorsk Environmental Remediation Project

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The objectives of the Ust-Kamenogorsk Environmental Remediation Project for Kazakhstan are to: (i) prevent the groundwater contamination plume's further migration towards the residential areas, the city's sources of drinking water supply and eventually into the Irtysh River; and (ii) strengthen institutional mechanisms for groundwater quality monitoring to enable control of ongoing groundwater pollution from local municipal and industrial sources. There are three components to the project, the first component being containment of high-priority sources of groundwater contamination; the second component is the remediation of current contaminated groundwater sites; and finally, the third component is the project management and monitoring. With respect to lessons drawn from prior experience in the region and sector, Bank experience has shown that: a) the need to coordinate among key government agencies and the concerned industries can present challenges that should be taken into account in the design of project implementation arrangements; b) local institutions need to be highly involved from the 10 earliest stages of the project; and c) competent and efficient national management staff are invaluable in ensuring the viability and sustainability of the project and should be brought on at an early stage.