ТASHKENT, October 10. /Dunyo IA/. From October 6 to 8 of this year, the International "Central Asia Regional Water and Sewerage Utilities Conference" was held in Tashkent, reports Dunyo IA correspondent.

The event was organized by the government of Uzbekistan and «Uzsuvtamot» JSC in collaboration with World Bank and other international financial institutions. The conference was sponsored by the governments of Switzerland and the Republic of Korea.

The three-day conference will discuss issues such as improving the efficiency of water supply and sanitation services, asset management, the introduction of digital solutions, institutional transformation, and the training of qualified personnel. Separate sessions will also be organized on innovative financing mechanisms, private sector engagement and strengthening regional cooperation.

During the conference, participants visited "Kodiriya" water treatment plant (Tashkent region), "Chirchik" wastewater treatment plant, and the "Mesal Water Technologies" joint venture (Yangiyul) to learn about ongoing projects and modern technologies.

The latest developments in the field of water supply also presented at the Aquatherm-Tashkent 2025 international exhibition.

The outcomes of the conference are expected to serve as an important platform for cooperation among Central Asian countries in promoting the rational use of water resources, the widespread introduction of modern management methods and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

It is worth noting that Uzbekistan is implementing consistent reforms aimed at ensuring the sustainable development of the water sector and expanding access to quality drinking water and wastewater services. In recent years, under the leadership of the President of Uzbekistan, large-scale measures have been initiated in this direction, and the industry is undergoing a radical overhaul.

Over the past 8 years, a total of 27.5 trillion soums has been allocated to the industry. Notably, 16 trillion soums, or 58.4 percent, has been allocated over the last three years. 60 percent of the allocated funds have been financed by the republican budget, with the remaining 40 percent coming from international financial institutions. These funds have been used to build and renovate 3,627 facilities and lay more than 40,600 km of networks. As a result, the population’s coverage with drinking water supply has reached 82.1 percent, and the use of wastewater services has reached 20.5 percent.

Additionally, work is underway in 2025 on international cooperation, encompassing 21 projects that total $2.18 billion. Of these:

These efforts will provide drinking water to 4.1 million people and access to wastewater services to 2.1 million.

Looking ahead, at least 40 trillion soums of investment is planned to be attracted by 2030 for the industry’s further development. This will enable the coverage of the population with drinking water supply to increase to 90 percent and wastewater services to 32.6 percent.