The World Bank support enhancement of irrigation system in Zarafshon Valley and provides some 20 million U.S. dollars for implementation of the Zarafshon Irrigation Rehabilitation and Management Improvement Project.

According to the Sughd regional administration, the Project and issues related to the status of projects being implemented in the region were discussed at a meeting of Sughd governor Rajabboy Ahmadzoda with representatives of the World Bank that took place in Khujand, the capital of the Sughd province on May 8.

Financed by a Trust Fund of the European Union (EU), the Project is expected to allow farmers in the Zarafshon river basin of northern Tajikistan to increase their crops and improve their livelihoods.   

The Zarafshon Irrigation Rehabilitation and Management Improvement Project will strengthen the infrastructure needed for effective irrigation and water resource management.  The project will fund rehabilitation of irrigation infrastructure, key flood protection works, and feasibility studies for improvement and modernization of irrigation schemes.  In addition, project activities will provide institutional and implementation support for highest-priority irrigation reforms, strengthen the institutional capacity of the Agency on Land Reclamation and Irrigation to respond to floods and mudflows, and support new and existing Water User Associations.