Public–private Partnership in Uzbekistan's Water Supply and Sanitation Sector: From Legal Framework to Implementation Practice

Presidential Decree No. UP-6074 of September 2020 identified 30 drinking-water supply systems, with an estimated total value of approximately USD 960.02 million, for potential transfer to private operators under public–private partnership (PPP) arrangements, with specified timelines for tender procedures and the conclusion of agreements. This article examines the relationship between the regulatory framework for PPPs in Uzbekistan and its practical implementation in the water sector by comparing the objectives established in the relevant regulatory documents with subsequently reported project implementation data. According to the Public–Private Partnership Development Agency's report as of 1 February 2022, 105 PPP agreements with a total value of USD 17.8 million had been signed in the water-resources management sector. Although these projects are not directly equivalent in scope to the drinking-water systems identified in the earlier programme, the substantial difference in their reported scale highlights the importance of examining how regulatory objectives are translated into individual PPP projects. At the same time, Uzbekistan has developed larger PPP projects in related municipal infrastructure. The Namangan Wastewater Treatment PPP Project, valued at approximately USD 90 million and structured for a 25-year period, provides an important example in the wastewater sector; the project involves the construction and operation of a treatment facility with a capacity of 100,000 m³ per day and associated infrastructure. A further large-scale example is the Tashkent District Heating PPP with Veolia, structured as a long-term public–private partnership for the operation, maintenance, and modernisation of the city's district-heating system. Available project documentation reports an overall project size of approximately EUR 1.4 billion. These cases demonstrate the practical applicability of Uzbekistan's PPP framework to major municipal infrastructure while also indicating opportunities for the further expansion of PPP implementation in drinking-water supply. The article therefore identifies implementation-related considerations and proposes measures to support the effective development of PPP mechanisms in the sector.