| Central Asia Development Marketplace 2009 (CA DM 2009) is a competitive grant program for five countries of Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan). The initiative is administered by the World Bank and supported by various development partners, such as the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Department for International Development of the UK (DFID). The goal of CA DM 2009 is to identify and fund innovative, early-stage projects with high potential for development impact. The theme of the CA DM 2009 is “Efficient Water Use for Agriculture”. The issue of water availability and use has been historically very sensitive and controversial in Central Asia. A number of centralized decisions in the Soviet Era had devastating effects on water availability in many areas. Later on, competing demands on water resources both for hydro-power and for irrigation purposes have been the source of many local and regional tensions. More recently, adverse weather conditions have reduced water intake in the main tributary rivers, raising serious concerns about the long term influences of climate change on food production in the region. The Central Asia Regional Development Marketplace 2009 through a competitive and transparent process will help identify and fund innovative initiatives and projects that would have positive impact on water use and management by farmers. Proposals will be solicited from a wide variety of key stakeholders including farmers’ groups/associations, civil society organizations, social entrepreneurs, academia, research institutions, and others. |
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