According to a recent study by the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) titled “Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation in Central Asia”, countries in the region will require US$29.2 billion in investment between 2025 and 2030 to modernize and expand their water and climate infrastructure.

Funding gap remains a major challenge

As of now, only US$12.068 billion — about 41.3% of the total required funding — has been secured through existing financing plans.  This leaves a significant gap of over $17 billion to be filled within the next five years.

Among the countries in the region, Uzbekistan is currently the most well-financed, followed by Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.

Annual needs exceed US$2 Billion

The report highlights that over $2 billion per year will be needed to upgrade and maintain water supply and sanitation systems across the region. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan alone will require over $800 million annually to meet their infrastructure demands.

While Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan require fewer funds in absolute terms, their relative needs remain high, especially in the context of growing climate-related challenges such as water scarcity, glacier melt, and extreme weather events.

Strategic investments for climate resilience

The report emphasizes that investment in water infrastructure is not only critical for public health and economic development, but also a key strategy for climate adaptation.

Without swift and coordinated efforts to bridge the funding gap, the region risks falling short in its ability to cope with increasingly frequent and severe environmental pressures.

The scope of financial support is insufficient

The scope of financial support for water and sanitation sector development plans and programs adopted in Central Asia is clearly insufficient to ensure the achievement of SDG 6 by 2030.  A comparison of planned (anticipated) and projected 2025–2030 financing commitments reportedly leads to the conclusion that the region is facing a deficit of more than US$12 billion over the period, or about US$2 billion per year.

The study notes that the largest financing shortfall among the countries of the region is expected to occur in Uzbekistan: US$826 million per year, or almost US$5 billion in 2025–2030.  A large financing shortfall is also projected for Kazakhstan at US$700 million per year, or US$4.2 billion in 2025–2030.

In Tajikistan, the financing shortfall will also be significant given the size of the country’s economy, reaching US$209 million per year, or more than US$1.2 billion in 2025–2030.