Features

Developing Aktobe Region – Investing in Kazakhstan’s Future Economic Growth

An hour and a half flight to the west of the capital Astana brings you to the Aktobe oblast (region) of Kazakhstan – where you will find yourself at the intersection of air, rail, and highway routes leading to Russia, Uzbekistan, and the Caspian Sea.

How Can Trade Accelerate Afghanistan’s Growth?

With an average annual population growth rate of 3 percent and an estimated 400,000 individuals entering the labor market each year, Afghanistan needs much higher growth rate to improve per capita incomes and to provide quality employment opportunities for the expanding workforce.

For Uzbekistan, Energy Efficiency is Smart Economics

Uzbekistan is one of the world’s major producers and exporters of natural gas – but it is also one of the world’s most energy-intensive economies.

Facilitating Trade in Eastern Europe and Central Asia

The World Bank Group is helping governments in Europe and Central Asia align with the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement and implement tangible measures to facilitate trade.

Milestones in CAREC Transport

The 15th CAREC Ministerial Conference unanimously endorsed two strategies to promote safety along CAREC corridors and provide a blueprint for long-term development of CAREC railways.

State-of-the-art Technology Boosts Energy Efficiency, Saves Money at One of Uzbekistan’s Largest Plants

Two new high-efficiency combined cycle gas turbines at the Talimarjan power plant in southern Uzbekistan will help modernize the country’s energy infrastructure, free up resources for investment, and produce surplus electricity for export.

Off-grid solar can be game-changer for electricity access in Central Asia

More than 700 million people in Asia and the Pacific still have no access to electricity, and a large number of them are in two CAREC Program member countries: Afghanistan and Pakistan.

All-weather road links Kandahar’s rural communities to better living standards

Residents of a cluster of rural communities in Kandahar Province are seeing tangible benefits from the construction of an all-weather road linking their villages to the provincial capital.

In Almaty, Sharing Knowledge to Strengthen Energy and Water Security Across Central Asia

In Central Asia, energy and water security are critical to boosting income levels, reducing poverty, and ensuring sustainable development for all citizens across the region. This cannot be achieved, however, without enhanced cooperation at both the national and regional level.

CASA-1000: Powering up Central and South Asia

CASA-1000 is a short name for the Central Asia-South Asia Electricity Transmission and Trade Program. This is the first step towards creating the Regional Electricity Market which will leverage Central Asia's significant energy resources to help alleviate South Asia's energy shortages on a mutually beneficial basis.