On December 18, the World Bank Board of Directors approved the Medium-Size Cities Integrated Urban Development Project, which aims to improve the quality of municipal services and urban infrastructure in three cities of Uzbekistan.
According to the World Bank, in Uzbekistan, medium-size cities with a population of 50 to 100 thousand people serve as a base for economic development and serving the needs of large cities. Moreover, more than 40 percent of the country’s urban population, or about 1.5 million people, live in cities with a population of less than 100 thousand.
According to the World Bank’s Country Manager for Uzbekistan Hideki Mori, the World Bank will for the first time finance an urban development project in Uzbekistan. The new project will promote the development of urban infrastructure, public spaces and municipal services in the cities of Chartak, Kagan and Yangiyul. The population in these cities is 165 thousand. The experience gained in the course of project implementation in these pilot cities will be used in development of the National Program for Development of Medium-Size Cities of Uzbekistan.
This will strengthen the institutional potential of central and local authorities in the field of urban management, urban infrastructure, provision of municipal services to the population, development of urban transport system.
The World Bank finances the implementation of 19 projects worth 3.4 billion USD, in order to support the economic and social development of Uzbekistan. These projects include support for macroeconomic reforms, agriculture, the water and sanitation sectors, health, education, energy, transport, and regional development.
