ADB targets coordinated water management in Central Asian countries.The Asian Development Bank Asian Development Bank A financial_institution established in 1966 to reduce poverty in the Asia-Pacific region. The bank is headquartered in Manila, Philippines and consists of 61 member countries. (ADB (Apple Desktop Bus) A low-speed serial bus for connecting keyboards, mice and other input devices on Apple IIgs and Macintosh computers. Starting with the iMac in 1998, the ADB was superseded by USB. ) is aiming to enhance regional cooperation on vital Central Asian waterways whose management and protection are crucial to the region's economic growth and social well-being.The Syr Darya Syr Darya or Syrdarya (both: sēr däryä`, –där`yə), ancient Jaxartes or Yaxartes, Pers. Sihun, river, c. and Amu Darya Amu Darya or Amudarya (both: äm  ` däryä`, ä`m där`yə), river, c. rivers, which criss-cross a large
part of Central Asia, support most of the agricultural output in the
Aral Sea Aral Sea (ăr`əl), salt lake, SW Kazakhstan and NW Uzbekistan, E of the Caspian Sea in an area of interior drainage. To the north and west are the edges of the arid Ustyurt Plateau; the Kyzyl Kum desert stretches to the southeast. basin and have significant hydropower hy·dro·pow·er n. Hydroelectric power. capacity and potential. A lack of cooperation among the Central Asian countries a" Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan a" in managing their shared water systems has been a key constraint that threatens to undermine the region's development."The lack of regional cooperation on water resources poses a major threat to economic integration and growth in Central Asia," said Thomas Panella, Senior Water Resources Management Specialist with ADB's Central and West Asia Department.ADB has approved a $998,000 regional technical assistance grant which will be used to support knowledge-sharing on water resources in the region and strengthen the capacity of institutions tasked with managing them.The grant came from a multi-donor trust fund under an ADB-administered Water Financing Partnership Facility. The Trust Fund contributors are the governments of Australia, Austria, and Norway. The assistance will involve regional initiatives covering the Amu Darya and Syr Darya river basins and the Chu and Talas river basins, as well as help establish a forum for exchanging ideas and developing future action plans.The project builds on previous ADB technical assistance from 2004 to 2007 that helped initiate regional water policy dialogues and the development of water management capacity.ADB, based in Manila, is dedicated to reducing poverty in the Asia and Pacific region through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration. Established in 1966, it is owned by 67 members a" 48 from the region. In 2007, it approved $10.1 billion of loans, $673 million of grant projects, and technical assistance amounting to $243 million. [c] News Agency [ETH eth n. Variant of edh. ][ETH]o[ETH]press - 2001-2008 Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company |
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