Features

Marakand – Karshi Railway Electrification Project

The Marakand – Karshi Railway Electrification Project was designed to support the development of Uzbekistan’s railway system and strengthen trade cooperation with neighboring countries by financing the electrification of the 140 km Marakand–Karshi section within CAREC Corridor 6 (Photo by Relisa Granovskaya).

CAREC Corridor 6 (Ayni-Uzbekistan Border Road)

CAREC Corridor 6 (Ayni-Uzbekistan Border Road) Improvement Project will restore approximately 113 kilometers of road between Ayni-Panjakent in the northern part of Tajikistan and its border with Uzbekistan (photo by Nozim Kalandarov).

Typical Short Sea Container Ship in the Black Sea Trading

Typical short sea container ship in the Black Sea trading at Poti Port of Georgia (photo by Ragas, Sammons, and Khodjaev). Source: Ports and Logistics Scoping Study in CAREC Countries, April 2021.

The Baku International Sea Trade Port of Azerbaijan

The Baku International Sea Trade Port of Azerbaijan is designed as a full-fledged intermodal transport hub with a free trade zone (photo by Ragas, Sammons, and Khodjaev). Source: Ports and Logistics Scoping Study in CAREC Countries, April 2021.

Solar Power Provides a Lifeline to Afghanistan’s Hospitals

In Afghanistan's Herat province, medical facilities have done their best to cope with the influx of COVID-19 patients, but power outages have made it challenging to provide adequate treatment.

Afghanistan: Empowering Farmers to Rebuild War-Torn Irrigation

Through a partnership between ADB and the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction, the Community-based Irrigation and Development Project was able to train 630 farmers to actively participate in the rehabilitation, upgrade, and maintenance of 175 small-scale and medium-scale traditional irrigation schemes covering about 38,850 hectares, benefiting more than 180,000 households.

Five keys to expanding Central Asia’s global value chains

Central Asia’s long-term economic prosperity depends upon participation in global value chains and upgrading to higher value-added activities.

Five ways to revitalize aviation and tourism in Central Asia

The CAREC region (excluding the People’s Republic of China) could see a drop of almost 70% in airline passengers in 2020, according to a forthcoming study by the Asian Development Bank. While the crisis is an unprecedented challenge for aviation and tourism, it also presents opportunities to reshape and restructure the industry to protect and promote jobs and businesses.

In Central Asia, COVID-19 response demands improved regional cooperation

By working together with countries to make sound socioeconomic development strategies, multilateral financial institutions can contribute substantially to the fight against the pandemic.

How to create more jobs and reduce poverty in Uzbekistan: Focus on the agri-food sector

Despite the severe implications of the COVID-19 pandemic, Uzbekistan’s agri-food sector remains an important driver of economic growth and export. It is projected to grow by 2.8% in 2020, compared with 0.6% growth in national GDP.