At project appraisal in 2009, there was no piped water supply in the Khorezm province and in eight project towns of the Republic of Karakalpakstan an autonomous republic within Uzbekistan, and the residents relied largely on yard swigs, wells, or purchased drinking water. In the two project areas in Djizzak province, the quality of delivered water was unacceptable; and water supply for the whole province lasted for only1−2 hours per day. In Andijan city, because of aging infrastructure and inadequate maintenance, 30% of sewage leaked onto streets and the ground; several sewage collector drains and networks were overloaded; 61.2% of the population did not have access to the centralized sewage services and used pit latrines. Waterborne diseases were common, and groundwater pollution was threatening human and ecological health.
To help address the situation, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a $58 million loan for project 3 of the Water Supply and Sanitation Services Investment Program in December 2011. The project, financed by tranche 3 of the $300 million multifinancing facility (MFF) for the investment program, approved in August 2009, was designed to improve the living standards, environment, and public health in the urban centers of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, Andijan, Djizzak, and Khorezm provinces. Its expected outcome was safe, reliable, and sustainable water supply for 257,000 urban residents in 10 urban centers in project areas; and improved sanitation services and hygiene for an additional 29,700 people in Andijan. It had two key components: (i) water supply and sanitation improvement, and (ii) capacity development and investment program management.
Water supply systems, including reservoirs, boreholes, pumping stations, trunk mains, and distribution systems were rehabilitated and augmented; and so were sewerage systems. Schools were connected to piped water supplies. Awareness and training programs on efficient water use, sanitary practices, and hygiene were conducted in close collaboration with makhallas (local self-governing communities), schools, and state sanitary epidemiological stations. Learning materials and personal hygiene products were disseminated in schools, and women’s participation in planning and the conduct of awareness campaigns was ensured. Key stakeholders, including vodokanal (water supply and sanitation institution) staff, received gender sensitivity trainings. Women’s participation in the Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion Program, which targeted girls in primary schools, was particularly promoted.
As part of the institutional development component, the project introduced performance-based and lease contracts, and developed a monitoring and benchmarking system, albeit accomplishing its targets only partially. The terms of reference for integrated financial management information systems for pilot vodokanals were formulated, and a unified automated billing system with nationwide upscaling was developed and introduced. In line with Presidential Resolution No. 306, water supply and sanitation (WSS) subsector transformation was carried forward in a major way through the nationwide reorganization of WSS institutions and sector-wide implementation of management, operational, financial, and cost-recovery reforms. Management and implementation support was also provided to ensure smooth execution of procurement and efficient financial management and project monitoring.
Despite significant improvements in infrastructure and the number of beneficiaries served in the water supply component, the project only partially achieved its intended outcome. By project completion, water supply in the project areas lasted for only 9−12 hours a day primarily due to power outages or limited power allocation. An additional 28,029 people, slightly lower than the 29,700-target, were provided access to sewerage network. Electricity consumption per 1 cubic meter (m3) of water supply varied from region to region in the range of 0.75−1.3 kilowatt per cubic meter (kW/m3). Although electricity consumption in Karakalpakstan and Khorezm subprojects substantially improved, it did not meet the target of 0.8 kW/m3 because the boosting stations not covered by the project still use old energy-intensive technologies.
Notwithstanding the shortfalls, the project had positively impacted the health and quality of life of the people, including the poor, in the project areas. The incidence of infectious diseases in the project regions significantly declined from 2011 to 2016. The frequency of diarrhea and other preventable waterborne intestinal diseases was reduced. Further degradation of ground water resources in Andijan city was halted.
As with the entire MFF/investment program, project 3 had the Uzbekistan Agency “Uzkommunhizmat” (UCSA) as executing agency. A program preparation and management unit (PPMU) previously coordinated the work of five provincial project implementation units (PIUs) taking charge of day-to-day operations. But pursuant to Presidential Resolution No. 334 (2015), the PPMU and five provincial PIUs were reorganized into a single project coordination unit performing the role of implementing agency.
