EBRD and EU Collaborate to Enhance Solid Waste Management in Kyrgyz Republic’s Capital

EBRD and EU Collaborate to Enhance Solid Waste Management in Kyrgyz Republic’s Capital

(IN BRIEF) The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Union (EU) have supported the completion of a vital infrastructure project in Bishkek, the capital of the Kyrgyz Republic. The project involves the construction of a landfill compliant with national and EU environmental regulations, with a storage capacity of 1.9 million m³. It will enable the safe disposal of solid waste for another decade, featuring a base sealing system to capture and treat leachate and prevent groundwater contamination. A €22 million package of loans and grants from the EBRD and an €8 million EU grant supported the municipal waste management company Tazalyk in improving operational management and infrastructure.

(PRESS RELEASE) LONDON, 1-Nov-2023 — /EuropaWire/ — The completion of a highly anticipated infrastructure project, supported by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Union (EU), will provide major environmental benefits for the more than one million people living in Bishkek, the Kyrgyz Republic’s capital city. The city’s new landfill will be the first in the country built in accordance with the national and EU environmental regulations.

The landfill, which has a storage capacity of 1.9 million m³, will allow the country’s largest municipality to safely dispose of solid waste for another decade. Equipped with a base sealing system, the landfill will also be able to capture and treat leachate, a contaminated liquid with a strong odour, and prevent it from dispersing into groundwater and causing contamination.

A package of €22 million provided as a loan and grants by the EBRD and the European Union’s €8 million grant helped Tazalyk, the municipal waste management company, to improve its operational management – for example, by installing a new billing system.

Tazalyk used the funds to acquire modern waste-collection trucks and a GPS tracking system to monitor them. The financing also allowed for the construction of new waste collection points to encourage responsible waste disposal.

The EBRD has, to date, invested €915 million in the Kyrgyz Republic through 231 projects, with most funds supporting private entrepreneurship. Around €178 million has so far been invested in 28 water projects in 24 municipalities across the country.

To date, the European Union has granted to Kyrgyz Republic over €100 million, which leveraged €205 million for projects in support of the water, solid waste, and energy sector, in partnership with EBRD and EIB. A total number of 15 cities and 8 villages across the country have benefited from this support. Thanks to this support, people of Kyrgyzstan will benefit from the access to safe drinking water, energy resources and better solid waste management services.

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SOURCE: EBRD