Building adaptation and resilience in Kyrgyzstan's water infrastructure

Kyrgyzstan is a major supplier of water for both domestic and international use. Climate models, upon which the Kyrgys national adaptation strategy are developed, project a 5-40% reduction in water flow by the middle of the century. Krygyzstan has 16 water supply companies, who operate independently, without the benefit of a national technical standards framework.  

Projected 40% reduction in water by 2050

Climate Sense, in partnership with the European Bank for Reconstruction & Development (EBRD) and partners, developed an approach to rapidly assess, then enhance adaptive capacity across the Kyrgyz water industry. This approach enabled us to identify a collective pathway for all 16 water companies, to build greater climate resilience.  Climate Sense’s CaDD and RAPA platforms, facilitated crucial speed and efficiency in mapping and diagnosing the different levels of climate adaptive capacity, then assessed how decisions were made across all sixteen companies, without having to solely rely on dialogue, transcending language and logistical barriers. The project also pioneered coaching for the leadership teams of the water companies. This allowed the EBRD to demonstrate (with CaDD metrics) the impact of the investment on adaptive capacity at an individual, organisational and systemic level.  

In delivering the project Climate Sense: Facilitated Decision Mapping and the creation of individual Rapid [climate] Adaptation Pathways (RAPA) for 16 water companies and the Municipalities that control them.  Identifying the actions that will enable the companies to provide effective water supply and waste management. 

Using that analysis to review the national policy and investment strategies for achieving climate resilience in the sector to support:  The newly restructured ‘Gosstroy’ to implement its water sector regulation role. A financial strategy revie; in the light of current and required impacts of their finance on climate resilience. Using a CaDD adaptation capacity assessment to produce capacity development plans Providing a coaching programme for key decision makers in the 16 water companies to implement these plans. 

Climate Sense’s CaDD metrics, demonstrated a 60% increase in adaptive capacity across all 16 water companies, after the implementation of Rapid Adaption Pathways Analysis (RAPA). 

Following a further coaching programme for key decision makers the collective adaptive capacity score increased 100% above pre-project levels (see below).