U.S. Ambassador Elisabeth Millard has participated in a forum on “Innovative Water Management for Sustainable Development.”

According to the U.S. embassy in Dushanbe, the forum, organized by the USAID Local Governance Project and chaired by the First Deputy of the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources Mr. Sulton Rahimzoda, focused on improving the quality and management of drinking water supply services in Tajikistan.

More than 60 participants, including key government counterparts, representatives of the water sector, chairmen of districts and jamoats, and development partners reportedly discussed the current state of the drinking water supply in rural Tajikistan and identified ways to increase access through investment and improved management.

At the end of the forum participants drafted a resolution with recommendations on ways to improve rural water management, which will be forwarded to the President’s Executive Office for approval

This event is a part of the USAID Local Governance Project, which works in 10 districts and 20 municipalities to improve the quality of local governance and service delivery, particularly in clean drinking water, and strengthens citizen participation in local government decision-making.  To date, the project has installed 17 drinking water systems across Tajikistan, delivering clean drinking water to close to 42,000 people.

Over the past 25 years, the U.S. Embassy in Dushanbe has provided more than $1.8 billion in programs that support Tajikistan’s security, democratic institutions, social sector, and economic growth.  Throughout 2017, Tajikistan and the United States will celebrate 25 years of diplomatic relations.