The European Union and the World Bank have signed an agreement for a new €7 million (£6.2m) grant to strengthen energy and water security in Central Asia.

The funding will contribute to the Central Asia Water & Energy Programme (CAWEP) implemented by the World Bank to help boost security through knowledge exchange, analytic work, policy advice and project preparation.

Some of the projects supported by the previous phases include more than 13,000 farmers in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan implementing climate-smart solutions and improving their crop production, rehabilitation of 87 weather stations and 19 river stations in the Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan and the design of the Nurek Hydro Power Plant in Tajikistan.

The Central Asia Youth for Water Network was also established, which connects students and practitioners from around the world, helping researchers to find solutions to the most pressing issues in their countries.

Sven-Olov Carlsson, EU Ambassador to Kazakhstan said: “As water and energy are inextricably linked in Central Asia, joint management of these vital resources is crucial for the region’s sustainable development, poverty reduction and climate resilience.

“By its contribution to CAWEP, the EU facilitates enhanced regional dialogue and collaboration on energy and water security matters to help the countries improve conditions for sustainable investment and socio-economic development.”