In Central Asia the problems related to water are by far the most pressing and complex. The underlying cause of all the water related issues is the inefficient irrational use of scarce water sources. The region has also suffered years of drought, through neglect and war basic infrastructure has been destroyed, and remote villages have little access to clean water supplies.

The most urgent problems for rural populations is the low access to safe drinking water. The impact of this is outbreaks of water borne diseases.

JDA is working to provide fresh water sources to rural communities by digging and drilling shallow wells, installing filtering systems and the rehabilitating water systems.

Where shallow water is not available, a solar water disinfection technique called SODIS is being implemented. It uses locally available, low-cost materials, and the power of the sun to produce pathogen-free water. Households are being taught and it is being widely disseminated in the rural areas of Uzbekistan and Afghanistan.

JDA

• Delivered and installed three filtering systems in a village in central Uzbekistan, which removed heavy metals from the village water source.
• Repaired and rehabilitated 35 desalination units and water supply systems in the region of Karakalpakstan.
• Drilled 600 shallow wells and installed hand pumps to provide water to the nine most unfavorable region of rural Karakalpakstan.
• Implementing Solar Water Disinfection (SODIS) training in five regions of north western Uzbekistan and northern Afghanistan.

More Information:

Success Stories:

• SODIS Expands in Central Asia (pdf - 63k)