ADB to Improve Wastewater Management and Boost Sustainable Tourism in Kyrgyz Republic
Business
The funding comprises a $25 million concessional loan and a $31 million Asian Development Fund (ADF) grant. The ADF provides grants to ADB’s poorest and most vulnerable developing member countries.
The Issyk-Kul region is particularly popular because of its rich ecological, cultural, and biological diversity, and Issyk-Kul Lake is one of the main attractions. Cholpon-Ata, a resort town, is the preferred destination for about 80% of tourists who visit the lake. However, the town’s aging wastewater network connects only about half of the population and excludes almost a third of tourism facilities and resorts.
ADB’s project will build climate-resilient infrastructure such as a wastewater treatment plant, pumping stations, and improved sewer infrastructure serving main resorts, guesthouses, residential and business areas in the Cholpon-Ata area. These initiatives will help preserve the environment of the lake.
The project will also improve tourism infrastructure by building a museum and a tourism information center, improving and conserving the local archeological heritage site, constructing bike trails and walking paths around the lake's shore, upgrading three public parks, and improving the accessibility to green spaces. The project will also support local authorities to develop a climate-resilient tourism master plan for Cholpon-Ata.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the partnership between ADB and the Kyrgyz Republic—a cooperation spanning more than 217 projects and technical assistance in key economic sectors. Since the Kyrgyz Republic joined ADB in 1994, the bank has committed public sector loans, grants, and technical assistance totaling $2.6 billion to the country.