8 March 2012: Two provinces in Uzbekistan have experienced improved access to water and sanitation services as a result of an Asian Development Bank (ADB) project aimed at strengthening institutional capacity and ensure access to water and sanitation services. The ADB also facilitated the establishment of Drinking Water Consumers Unions (DWCUs) to empower women and encourage community participation in water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) decision-making and planning.

Following the breakup of the Soviet Union, access to drinking water declined from 70 to 30 percent in Kashkadarya and Novoi provinces as a result of institutional and financial constraints. The ADB project aimed to reverse these trends by constructing chlorination and wastewater drainage facilities and installing latrines and septic tanks. The project also focused on women’s empowerment and participation in planning and implementation of community services. For example, it trained women in water quality monitoring and held gender sensitization seminars and trainings on sanitation education.

Furthermore, the project incorporated health and hygiene awareness programs to promote good hygiene practices in schools and villages, and which have resulted in reductions in waterborne diseases among populations in the project area and less time off from school or work due to illness. In addition, women and children who previously spent significant time collecting water can now devote their time to other endeavors, including income-generation activities. [ADB press release]