Uzbekistan is currently suffering from high water stress.1 In 2022, this indicator reached 112%, recorded as one of the highest levels in the world alongside Turkmenistan and Pakistan (UN Water, 2024[1]). The National Dialogue on water policy has been centred on strengthening the economic, financial and technological dimensions of water security in Uzbekistan, based on requests received from several ministries and agencies in the country during the kick-off mission and consultation workshop organised in March 2024.2
Three interlinked topics were selected for the Dialogue in partnership with the OECD, AWC and the Ministry of Economy and Finance of Uzbekistan:
Topic 1: Catalysing investments in water security. Stakeholders in Uzbekistan showed an interest in understanding the current barriers to investment in water security. Chapter 3 draws on analysis from the OECD Scorecard to identify existing barriers in the enabling environment for investing in water security and to inform the design of policy and regulatory reforms aimed at addressing them. Overcoming barriers for investment in water security would provide a solid basis for implementing successful public-private partnerships in water sectors.
Topic 2: Deploying public-private partnerships (PPPs) in water sectors in Uzbekistan. PPPs were identified by the Uzbek government as a priority policy tool to stimulate investment in water sectors, particularly with regards to overcoming the existing financing gap. As set out in Chapter 4, PPPs have the potential to offer several benefits in helping Uzbekistan achieve its water-related goals, including ensuring the sustainable supply of water, increasing the efficiency of irrigation systems and other goals as identified in the adopted Water Code. Based on feedback from ministries at the Policy Dialogue organised in Tashkent in December 2024, the efficacy and potential for implementing PPPs in irrigation are also assessed in this chapter.
Topic 3: Water efficiency technologies (modernisation, smart water management and capacity building). Investment in and implementation of appropriate technologies can be effective in enhancing water efficiency, including the modernisation of water infrastructure, integrated water information systems and sectoral capacity building. Chapter 5 discusses pathways and instruments to implement water-efficient technologies in Uzbekistan.
To maintain the momentum of the National Dialogue on Water and support the government of Uzbekistan in addressing water security, an action plan with implementable and pragmatic recommendations derived from the Dialogue and the government’s priorities is presented in Chapter 6.
