Ukraine and the World Bank Advance EUR 5.9 Billion Irrigation Restoration Plan

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On October 2, Ukraine's Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food and the World Bank held a meeting on irrigation system restoration and follow-up investment projects, as the two sides began translating the previously completed National Irrigation Master Plan into concrete implementation projects. The master plan divides the effort into 25 priority restoration and development phases, covering approximately 913,000 hectares of agricultural land, with an estimated total investment requirement of about EUR 5.9 billion.

The master plan was prepared with World Bank support, with its core task being to identify priority restoration areas, investment sequencing, and pathways for renewing irrigation infrastructure. The World Bank report "Recovering Ukraine's Agricultural Wealth – Transitioning to Sustainable Irrigation," released on September 24, conducted an agro-hydrological and economic modeling assessment of Ukraine's transition from rainfed to irrigated agriculture, incorporating irrigation and drainage, water resources management, and agricultural climate adaptation into its analytical scope.

The two sides are also advancing preparations for the RIVERS project. The first phase of the project will focus on Odesa Oblast, modernizing the existing irrigation and water resources management system. The scope of works includes canals, pumping stations, gates, and other hydraulic structures, with plans to enhance automated control and energy security capabilities.

The RIVERS project also plans to build a national-level digital platform for water resources planning and management, to be used for irrigation system operations, water allocation, and project management, while simultaneously advancing institutional and capacity building related to irrigation management. At the current stage, the project's estimated financing requirement is about USD 100 million, with Odesa Oblast to serve as the first concrete implementation area.

The World Bank is also preparing a new round of Ukraine's Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment, RDNA6, which will include the agricultural sector and irrigation infrastructure within its assessment scope. The results will be used to subsequently determine restoration priorities for damaged facilities and specific investment needs.

The 25 priority phases being advanced correspond to Ukraine's national irrigation restoration framework, and subsequent projects will be implemented in batches based on regional water resource conditions, the status of existing infrastructure, and agricultural production needs. The first batch of work has already moved from the master plan into the concrete project preparation stage in Odesa Oblast.