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The Kyrgyz Republic¡¯s Batken region, located in the country¡¯s southwest and bordering both Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, is celebrated for its mountainous landscapes and rich cultural diversity. However, this remote area remains underdeveloped and has faced significant challenges, particularly following conflict along the Kyrgyz-Tajik border in September 2022, which claimed dozens of lives and caused damage, destruction, and closure of public infrastructure like schools, kindergartens, and health clinics. This significantly impacted local children and families, disrupting learning and access to medical checkups and inoculations¡ªa blow to the Batken region¡¯s human capital and economic prosperity. 

Rapid Response from IDA

At the request of the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic, in November 2022, the World Bank redeployed $10 million in (IDA) financing from an existing project,  the , to restore and improve vital public education and healthcare services in affected towns and villages along the border.

Within nine months, the project constructed seven new schools, a kindergarten, and two health facilities, while also reconstructing three additional schools and two village health centers. These new and renovated facilities are allowing children to go back to school and get essential pediatric care, which is crucial for the Batken region¡¯s long-term human capital development. Moreover, this investment in these rural communities will raise living standards and reduce regional disparities and inequalities, helping promote a more resilient, inclusive future for the region and the country.

¡°The Batken Regional Economic Development project and its emergency response component is essential for restoring and enhancing the vital services our communities need. By ensuring that the Batken region receives the support it deserves, we are taking important steps to raise living standards of the people and make sure that no one is left behind,¡± says Abdikarim Alimbayev, Governor of Batken Region.

Build Back Better: Raising Standards for Education and Medical Care

Central to reconstructing these schools and health centers was the principle of "build back better," ensuring that new and restored facilities not only replaced what was lost but also provided significant improvements to be safer, more inclusive, and expand education and medical services available in remote areas.

This approach guided and empowered the government to restore and expand access to public services while raising Batken¡¯s education and healthcare standards. Key upgrades included:

• Installing indoor toilets in schools and kindergartens and upgrading outdoor facilities. This provided additional benefit to girls for better hygiene and privacy.
• Procuring modern kitchen appliances like ovens, stoves, and refrigerators to provide students with hot, nutritious meals.
• Incorporating ramps so these new facilities are accessible for persons with disabilities.
• Outfitting schools with new furniture and IT equipment, including desktop computers, to create comfortable, stimulating environments conducive to learning and responsive to students¡¯ needs.
• Enhancing energy efficiency in all new facilities, resulting in reduced operating costs and safer learning environments for students.
• Providing healthcare centers with new equipment and facilities, expanding the kinds of care and services available for these rural communities.

The new state-of-the-art secondary school in Ak-Sai village has quickly become a favorite among students with its new computer lab.

Photo credit: World Bank

The reconstructed health center in Kapchygai village, for example, is now equipped with a dental exam room. Ainura Zhetimish kyzy, a nurse at this facility, is encouraged by the vital services such as vaccinations, prenatal care, and general health check-ups now being offered to locals and the impact of the renovations: "There was no running water or hot water before, and access to water is crucial for healthcare. Previously, we only had a sink where we had to pour water ourselves, with a bucket underneath to catch the overflow. Now, everything has been properly installed. We have new sinks and hot water thanks to the water heater. Also, there were no ramps, but now we have them. We have a newly opened and fully equipped modern dental office.¡±

Ainura Zhetimish kyzy works at the reconstructed health facility in Kapchygai village providing improved access to healthcare for residents.

Photo credit: World Bank

Improving Resilience, Restoring Hope

Key for the region¡¯s future is ensuring these investments in local human capital are resilient to the natural hazards and climate shocks that remote, mountainous communities like those in Batken already do and will increasingly face.  

Basalt fiber insulation, new heating systems, and building designs adhering to seismic safety standards make these facilities more welcoming and agreeable during harsh winters and better able to withstand earthquakes, common to the region. Reconstruction efforts have also sought to make sure new facilities are more energy efficient and healthier, for example by replacing coal-burning heating systems with electric ones¡ªremoving harmful smoke and dust wafting into classes, lunchrooms, and play areas.

For a community that has already faced disruption through conflict, applying these climate- and disaster-risk-oriented designs and solutions will help them better mitigate the impacts of climate change, minimize future costs, and protect lives.

The  exemplifies how IDA can support countries¡¯ recover in a post-conflict context. The new schools, kindergartens, and health facilities have not only replaced and improved upon what was lost in 2022 but also helped restore a sense of normalcy, and hope, for residents.

Implemented by the (ARIS), this project marks a significant step toward improving these communities¡¯ quality of life and encouraging them to move forward after crisis¡ªpaving the way for a brighter, more prosperous future for the Batken region.