AKIPRESS.COM - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved  a $59 million loan and $500,000 grant to enhance livability and economic competitiveness in four secondary cities of Uzbekistan.

ADB’s Integrated Urban Development Project will support strategic investments in municipal infrastructure and services in the cities of Djizzak, Havast, Khiva, and Yangiyer, which have experienced lagging growth due to the COVID-19 pandemic and vulnerability to climate change.

"Integrated, climate-resilient urban development can boost the economic competitiveness of secondary cities while significantly improving the quality of life for people who live there. ADB’s project will apply innovative solutions and strengthen institutional capacity to help these cities build back better and faster," ADB Director General for Central and West Asia Yevgeniy Zhukov said.

The project will support the development of green, community-centered infrastructure including a new public park with a multifunctional community center in Havast and a public greenway and two-story visitor center in Khiva featuring Uzbekistan’s first digital museum with a Silk Road theme. It will also support the development of water distribution networks with climate-smart water saving technologies in Djizzak and improved solid waste management in all four cities.

"All residents and visitors will benefit from the development of these cities, especially the poor and vulnerable, from improved access to reliable and inclusive urban services. And by providing tourism skills training and support for small and medium-sized enterprises, this project will also help boost livelihoods," ADB Portfolio Management Unit Head for Central and West Asia Ron Slangen noted.

ADB will also provide a capacity development program to improve sustainability, efficiency, and services delivery in the four cities. The bank will administer the $500,000 grant provided as co-financing by the High-Level Technology Fund for the digital museum.

Uzbekistan joined ADB in 1995. The bank has since committed loans, grants, and technical assistance of more than $10 billion to the country.