July 2, 2021; Tashkent – On July 2, 2021 the Korean Development Agency (KOICA) and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) signed an agreement for implementation of the “Green Rehabilitation Investment Project for Karakalpakstan Republic to address impacts of the Aral Sea Crisis”. This project has a budget of $5.6 million and will be implemented from July 1, 2021 – June 30, 2024.
The agreement was signed by KOICA Country Director Ms. Sunjin Park and GGGI Country Representative, Dr. Aaron Russell, at the Korean Embassy in Tashkent. The State Committee for Ecology and Environmental Protection (SCEEP) Head of International Programs Mr. Jakhongir Talipov, and the Korean Embassy Counsellor Mr. Jiwan Yoon and First Secretary Ms. Kang Yoomin provided their expressions of support during the ceremony.
The Project aims to assist the Republic of Karakalpakstan’s green rehabilitation to address the adverse impacts of the Aral Sea ecological crisis and establish viable measures to pursue disaster resilient sustainable livelihood for communities of the most affected districts. The project will have the following key components:
- Develop a Green Recovery Investment Planning Strategy for the agriculture-related sectors across Karakalpakstan;
- Implement a capacity-building and awareness-raising campaign to improve the resilience to climate and Aral Sea disaster risks. (Kegeyli, Bozataw, Chimbay, Karauzyak);
- Work with farmers and entrepreneurs in four districts (Kegeyli, Bozataw, Chimbay, Karauzyak) to equip them and demonstrate the effectiveness of acclimate resilient agri-business models through their participation in a business development platform; and
- Support climate resilient agri-micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and farmers across Karakalpakstan to gain access to finance through commercial banking.
In total, the project expects to provide direct benefits to an estimated 28,307 people and 1,012 family MSMEs and individual entrepreneurs, and will indirectly benefit the total population of Karakalpakstan (1.82 million).
The project aligns with a number of the Government of Uzbekistan’s key guiding policy documents, including the:
- “Development Strategy Framework of Uzbekistan to 2035”;
- “Strategy for the Transition to a Green Economy for the 2019-2030 Period”; and the
- UN Resolution “Declaring the Aral Sea region a zone of ecological innovations and technologies.”
The project will be implemented by GGGI and partners including two Korean NGOs, Human Asia and Green Asia Network, in close consultation with KOICA and the State Committee for Ecology and Environmental Protection (SCEEP). Furthermore, the project will develop partnerships with the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade (MIFT), the International Innovation Center for the Aral Sea Basin (IICAS) and other key governmental and NGO institutions.
This project represents a further strengthening of the partnership between KOICA and GGGI since these two organizations signed a bilateral Memorandum of Understanding on Green Growth Cooperation on June 8, 2018. With this project in Uzbekistan, GGGI and KOICA are pleased to bring their respective expertise and support for promotion of green growth to ten GGGI partner countries.