Ganja and Sheki Water Supply and Waste Water Project

Ganja and Sheki Water Supply and Waste Water Project

Region: Azerbaijan (Ganja, Sheki)Duration: 2006 to 2014 (phase I)Budget: EUR 55 million (SECO: EUR 10 million; KfW: EUR 37 million; Government of Azerbaijan: EUR 8 million)

• Institutional partner: AzerSu OJSC• Implementing partner: Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW)

The objective of the project is to improve the living standards of the lo-cal population, thus facilitating economic development, through rehabil-itating the basic infrastructure for the supply of safe and clean water in the cities of Ganja (population: 320‘000) and Sheki (population: 70‘000), and building the institutional capacity of water authorities.

The rehabilitation needs of the water and wastewater systems in Azer-baijan, particularly outside Baku, are large. After the Soviet period, the economic decline left the water infrastructure, which had been badly managed and maintained for decades, in poor state. The technical water losses account for up to 60 to 80%. Most wastewater treatment facilities do not function.

The project is co-financed with KfW and builds on previous experience of SECO in the water sector.

Project tle

General informa on

Project partners

Project objec ves

Background

Market Opportuni es for Livelihood Improvement (MOLI) in Kakhe

Region: Kakheti (Georgia)Durati on: July 1, 2011 – October 31, 2014Budget: CHF 1’080’000

• Implementi ng partner: HEKS-EPER (Switzerland)• Insti tuti onal partner: Ministry of Agriculture of Georgia, Ministry of

Regional Development and Infrastructure, regional and local authoriti es.

The purpose of the project is to enable the livestock market system to functi on more inclusively for subsistence and semi-subsistence livestock farmers in Kakheti , resulti ng in improved incomes, well-being and resil-ience to livelihood related disaster risks.

The Kakheti region is one of the leading agricultural regions in Georgia and shows high levels of unemployment and poverty. Its populati on relies to a large extent on subsistence agriculture. Some eighty percent of the popu-lati on live in rural areas and are engaged in agriculture, supplying Tbilisi and other regions of Georgia with agricultural products. Although women are acti vely involved in farm work, their role is oft en underesti mated and they face diffi culti es in securing land and getti ng access to extension ser-vices, inputs and credits.

Livestock farming in Kakheti is a promising agricultural sector because of its potenti al for further growth, among others owing to the low cost of key

Market Opportuni es for Livelihood Improvement (MOLI) in Kakhe Swiss Cooperation Office

South Caucasus

Project title

Generalinformation

Project partners

Project objectives

Background

The following activities are carried out under the project:• Constructing and rehabilitating water supply systems and sewerage

networks in Ganja and Sheki• Installing public taps and water kiosks• Establishing local water utilities as Open Joint Stock Companies

(OJSC)• Institutional and organizational development of local water utilities

The following results were achieved:• Report on institutional building of the local utility companies in the

regions elaborated• Water intake and infiltration gallery constructed and fully operation-

al in Sheki• 2 reservoirs rehabilitated and chlorination building constructed in

Sheki• 90% of population of Sheki city provided with potable water during

4 hours per day

Until the end of the project the following results are expected:• A consolidated 24-hours supply of drinkable water is provided to

53% of the population in Ganja and Sheki• The water quality is improved for a further 31% of the population in

Ganja and 100% in Sheki• Free of charge public taps installed to ensure access to clean water

to the poorest segment of the population• Sewage water is collected centrally for 50% of the target groups• Collection efficiency is increased• Critical influents in wastewater is reduced by 50% in Ganja and 33%

in Sheki

Project activities

Project results

inputs (hay and animal feed), good pastures and adequate land for fodder producti on, low pressure on pasture for livestock (0.25 catt le heads per hectare), and relati vely favorable marketi ng opportuniti es due to the vicin-ity to the capital Tbilisi. For the vast majority of rural households with cat-tle in the targeted municipaliti es, livestock farming is the most important contributor to income and food needs.

The project targets the municipaliti es of Sagarejo, Signagi and Dedoplist-skaro, where livestock farming is the main economic acti vity for the major-ity of poor households and has the potenti al to support pro-poor growth. Through bett er access to services, inputs and markets, poor farmers can improve their economic situati on.

The project supports public and private market players of the dairy and meat market systems in Kakheti with two main instruments: 1) co-grant scheme for speci c investments aimed at improving speci c market sys-tem functi ons and incenti vizing assistance by target enterprises to farmers 2) capacity development of relevant markets players so that they deliver bett er services to farmers.

The project works with local governments and support them in the plan-ning and implementati on of disaster management measures at the same ti me facilitates advocacy acti on of local governments towards the nati onal level on such policy issues as taxati on and legal framework for farmers’ cooperati ves and associati ons; implementati on of the food safety law and livestock registrati on and the use of local land and pasture resources.

Some 6’500 households will bene t directly from improved access to services, inputs and markets by the end of the rst phase of the project. The subsistence and semi-subsistence livestock farmers will be able to increase producti on due to improved access to services, inputs and informati on on animal health, breeding and nutriti on. The project will facilitate creati on of more favorable market access and terms of trade for dairy and meat products. As a result of more effi cient producti on and bett er sales opportuniti es, farmers will be able to increase their income by 10 to 20%.

The assistance provided to local and regional governments will aim en-hancement of their capaciti es to promote the inclusive and coherent growth of the agricultural sector which is more resilient to livelihood re-lated disaster risks.

Project ac vi es

Project results

Swiss Cooperation Office South Caucasus

Swiss Cooperati on Offi ce South CaucasusEmbassy of Switzerland

Radiani street 12, 0179 Tbilisi,GeorgiaPhone: (+995 32) 225 36 82 / 83, 222 37 21Fax: (+995 32) 225 36 84E-mail: tbilisi@sdc.netWeb - page: www.swisscoop.ge

Swiss Cooperation Office for the South CaucasusEmbassy of Switzerland

Böyük Qala Street 9, Old City1004 Baku, Azerbaijan Phone: +994 12 437 38 55Fax: +994 12 437 38 56Web: www.swisscoop.az