Kyrgyzstan needs $1.2 billion to provide its population with drinking water, says Torobaev

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Processing Industry Bakyt Torobaev said that Kyrgyzstan needs $1.2 billion in investments to solve the problem of access to drinking water in 960 settlements. He made this announcement while speaking at the session “Effective Solutions for Water Resource Management” as part of the Rome Water Dialogue 2025, held at the FAO headquarters in Rome.

According to the minister, the water supply infrastructure in the region is almost 80% worn out, and water losses reach 55%. About 10 million people in Central Asia still do not have access to clean drinking water.

“If we don't invest the necessary funds today, tomorrow it will cost three times as much to restore the lost potential. It is time to pay the same attention to water as humanity pays to oil and gas,” Bakyt Torobaev emphasized.

The minister separately highlighted the alarming trend of declining water levels in Lake Issyk-Kul, noting that this unique body of water is of regional importance and performs an important climate-regulating function. According to Torobaev, the loss of natural resources such as Issyk-Kul could lead to irreversible consequences comparable to the drying up of the Aral Sea.