High-ranking officials attended the event, including the Deputy Minister of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Processing Industry of the Kyrgyz Republic Almaz Zheenaliev, the Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic in the Batken region Aibek Shamenov, as well as the head of the World Bank office Mr. Hugh Riddell and the project director Ulanbek Torogeldiev. Also invited were heads of local water management authorities, representatives of contracting and consulting organizations, local communities, and other stakeholders.
The project will cover two rural districts and one city in the Kadamjai district, with a total length of canals of 35.2 km, of which 25.67 km will be completely renovated.
Almaz Zheenaliev emphasized that after the completion of the work, water supply will improve on more than 4,435 hectares of agricultural land, which will directly affect crop yields and the sustainability of agriculture. "The modernization of the Shahimardan irrigation system will ensure stable water supply for thousands of farmers, increase the efficiency of irrigation water use, and help adapt agriculture to climate change," he added.
The implementation of the project is carried out by the Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Processing Industry with the support of the World Bank under the program "Improving Climate-Resilient Water Management Services."
