| Project Detail |
The Issyk-Kul Ring Road Improvement Project will: (i) improve the 79-kilometer Barskoon-Karakol road, a part of the Issyk-Kul Ring Road, (ii) enhance the management of the road asset, (iii) improve road safety, and (iv) support the preparation of the climate strategy and action plan. The project derives synergies with earlier assistance and adopts a cross-sectoral approach to integrated development in the Issyk-Kul Lake area, with an integration of gender perspective.
Project Name Preparing the Issyk-Kul Ring Road Improvement Project
Project Number 56146-002
Country / Economy Kyrgyz Republic
Project Status Active
Project Type / Modality of Assistance Technical Assistance
Source of Funding / Amount
TA 6955-KGZ: Preparing the Issyk-Kul Ring Road Improvement Project
Technical Assistance Special Fund US$ 1.00 million
Strategic Agendas Inclusive economic growth
Drivers of Change Gender Equity and Mainstreaming
Governance and capacity development
Sector / Subsector
Transport / Road transport (non-urban)
Gender Equity and Mainstreaming Effective gender mainstreaming
Description The Issyk-Kul Ring Road Improvement Project will: (i) improve the 79-kilometer Barskoon-Karakol road, a part of the Issyk-Kul Ring Road, (ii) enhance the management of the road asset, (iii) improve road safety, and (iv) support the preparation of the climate strategy and action plan. The project derives synergies with earlier assistance and adopts a cross-sectoral approach to integrated development in the Issyk-Kul Lake area, with an integration of gender perspective.
Project Rationale and Linkage to Country/Regional Strategy
Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) road corridors 1 and 3 provide regional connectivity with other Central Asian neighboring countries, including Kazakstan and Peoples Republic China. The Bishkek-Torugart road (part of CAREC Corridor 1) and the Bishkek-Osh Road (part of CAREC Corridor 3) also enable a north-south connectivity within the country. In addition, the Almaty-Bishkek Economic Corridor (ABEC) is spurring economic growth and creating jobs through greater private investments, trade, and agglomeration of economic activities. Development of the Issyk-Kul Lake area, the countrys most popular tourist destination, is an integral part of the ABEC. The Issyk-Kul Ring Road also represents strategic importance for livelihoods of local communities, including women and the vulnerable group, by improving their access to job opportunities and markets for their crops and livestock.
Being a landlocked country, the Kyrgyz Republic heavily depends on road transport. About 95% of passengers and more than half of freight traffic are carried by road. Although there have been improvements in the road network performance, the quality of the roads continues to lag as the country ranked 113 out of 141 countries by the World Economic Forums Global Competitiveness Index. The entire Issyk-Kul Ring Road has severely deteriorated. It has poor riding quality and a traffic capacity that does not meet the requirements of high volume of vehicles during tourist and harvest seasons, posing a safety risk. There is a lack of roadside public services such as visitor centers, public toilets, and streetlights lowering satisfaction for tourists. The government has been reconstructing the ring road using its own funds and with assistance from other development partners such as the Arab Coordination Group and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
The road network of the country is vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and disasters triggered by natural hazards like intense rains and heat waves that cause floods, mudflows, landslides, melting road surfaces, and slope instability. As the road infrastructure is not adapted, it requires additional investments in resilience to such impacts. In 2021, the Kyrgyz Republic approved the updated Nationally Determined Contribution under Paris Agreement with an aim to reduce the greenhouse gas emission by 44% by 2030. |
