The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is providing funds to upgrade key infrastructure and develop sustainable transportation solutions for Tajikistan’s capital. This is reportedly the third project under the Dushanbe Green City Action Plan (GCAP).
Press release issued by the EBRD Resident Office in Dushanbe says the EBRD’s sovereign loan of up to €28.45 million will help finance major transportation improvements in the riverside part of the capital city. They will include the reconstruction of roads and a bridge across the Varzob River. The Bank’s funds will also support the construction of dedicated bus and trolleybus lanes, as well as purpose-built facilities for walking, cycling and electric mobility.
EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso said: “We are very pleased to sign this project with the authorities for the benefit of Dushanbe. They have been committed to the green agenda ever since the city joined the EBRD Green Cities program in 2019.”
The Dushanbe GCAP, developed jointly with the EBRD, is helping the largest municipality in Tajikistan, with a population of more than 800,000, to identify and address priority environmental and development issues. This investment will promote a strategic shift from carbon-intensive, traditional transportation patterns towards eco-friendly, sustainable mobility principles.
Once completed, the project will contribute to the reduction of annual carbon dioxide emissions in Dushanbe.
The EBRD developed the Green Cities program with the aim of building a better and more sustainable future for cities and their residents.
Dushanbe joined the Green Cities program in 2019 by committing to develop a Green City Action Plan (GCAP) as part of EBRD’s loan to modernize and rehabilitate the city’s district heating system. The GCAP is the most recent effort of Dushanbe to tackle its environmental, social, and economic challenges and realizing its low-carbon and climate-resilient development potential. The GCAP aligns with key objectives of the national and city-level policies such as the Tajikistan National Development Strategy 2015-2030 and the Dushanbe City SocioEconomic Development Program to 2025.
The GCAP pursues a comprehensive assessment of Dushanbe with a focus on seven urban sectors: 1) energy; 2) water and wastewater; 3) transport; 4) buildings; 5) industries; 6) solid waste; and 7) land use and biodiversity.
Based on the technical assessment, significant stakeholder engagement, and in alignment with key national and city-level strategies and plans, Dushanbe’s Green City Vision is to become a clean, healthy, and safe city, where the environment is protected, the infrastructure system is expanded and climate-proofed, and planning and investment decision-making are made in a more targeted way.
To date, the EBRD has invested €947 million through 168 projects in Tajikistan.
