Uzbekistan: Expansion and Modernization of Public School Infrastructure, Phase 1 Project

OBJECTIVE

The Project objective is to expand and modernize public school infrastructure, improve education accessibility and enhance the quality of the learning environment to meet the increasing needs of secondary education across Uzbekistan.

DESCRIPTION

The Uzbekistan – Expansion and Modernization of Public School Infrastructure, Phase 1 Project (the Project) is proposed as Phase 1 of a programmatic approach to support Uzbekistan’s efforts to strengthen and modernize the public education system. It aims to improve access to quality education and enhance alignment with international standards, in response to growing demand driven by demographic pressure and urbanization. 

The Project is planned as a Results-based Financing (RBF), supporting the Government of Uzbekistan’s public education program, which covers three main categories: (a) educational infrastructure and equipment, (b) training programs for teaching and administrative staff and (c) a technology-enabled education system. AIIB financing for Phase 1 will focus on (a) expanding and modernizing existing public schools and (b) creating around 94,000 additional school seats by constructing new buildings with modern facilities, in around 200 schools in six priority regions—Bukhara, Karakalpakstan, Kashkadarya, Khorezm, Samarkand and Surkhandarya. These efforts will benefit students, families and communities in both urban and rural areas across Uzbekistan.

ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL INFORMATION

Applicable Policy and Categorization. AIIB’s Environmental and Social Policy (ESP, 2024), including the Environmental and Social Exclusion List (ESEL), will be applied to this RBF Project. An Environmental and Social Systems Assessment (ESSA), which is a prerequisite under the RBF modality, will be prepared to assess the adequacy of the environmental and social (ES) systems applicable to the Project, including the Borrower’s capacity to manage ES risks and impacts. The Project is anticipated to involve school construction and rehabilitation activities, with ES risks that are expected to be site-specific, limited and manageable through established mitigation measures. In accordance with the ESP and RBF requirements, high ES-risk activities, including all Category A activities and activities located in or affecting protected areas or critical natural habitats as well as those that would adversely affect physical cultural resources and the activities that may involve or result in involuntary resettlement or land acquisition, will be excluded from the Project. Only activities that fall under Categories B and C in terms of ES risks and impacts will be considered under this RBF Project. 

Environmental and Social System Assessment (ESSA). In line with the Guidance Note for RBF, Section 4.4 on ESSA (Collaboration with Development Partners), AIIB may rely on or draw upon relevant ES assessments prepared by other development partners, subject to a review of their quality and relevance. ESSA is a prerequisite under RBP financing and is being conducted for the proposed RBP to (a) assess the potential ES risks and impacts of the proposed RBP, (b) evaluate the adequacy of the systems proposed to be applied to the RBP for managing potential ES risks and impacts, (c) assess the institutional capacity of client and involved agencies in managing of ES risks and impacts of the RBP and (iv) recommend actions to strengthen specific aspects of the capacity of involved agencies and these systems for mitigating ES risks and impact during the preparation and implementation of the RBP. In this context, a draft ESSA has been prepared and disclosed^[1] by the World Bank for a similar program implemented by the Uzbekistan Ministry of Preschool and School Education (MOPSE). AIIB will review this assessment to determine its quality, relevance and applicability to the proposed Project. Where appropriate, the findings of the existing ESSA may be used as a basis for AIIB’s assessment, supplemented as needed to address any identified gaps. 

Environment and Social Aspects: Anticipated environmental risks include short-term construction-related impacts such as dust, noise, vibration, construction and demolition waste, traffic disturbances and occupational health and safety risks for workers. During the demolition of older buildings, there is a limited risk related to the handling of hazardous materials such as asbestos, which requires appropriate identification and management. School investments under the Project are expected to be carried out on existing public land or land free of any use, claims or disputes. Screening procedures to be further defined under the ESSA will ensure that any activities involving land acquisition or other higher-risk ES impacts are excluded from Project financing. Additionally, social risks are mainly related to workers’ and community health and safety during construction, temporary disruptions to school operations and labor-related risks at worksites. These anticipated ES risks and impacts are expected to be site-specific, limited in scale and manageable through established mitigation measures within the existing legal framework. 

Stakeholder Engagement and Information Disclosure: The Project Team has conducted initial consultations during the concept stage of the Project with MOPSE at both central and regional levels, as well as with the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the National Committee in Ecology and Climate Change and the Ministry of Construction and Housing and Communal Services. Public schools and their students, as well as relevant local authorities in the regions of Bukhara, Kashkadarya, Khorezm, Samarkand and Tashkent were also consulted. The Project Team will conduct further consultations with stakeholders during the preparation of the ESSA. Any required actions to strengthen the applicable ES systems will be discussed and agreed upon with the relevant authorities, as appropriate. The draft ESSA in English, and its executive summary in Uzbek and Russian language, will be disclosed in a timely manner prior to Project appraisal. 

Project Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM): The GRM applicable to the Project is based on the national "People's Reception" system established across government institutions at national, regional and district/city levels, in accordance with Law No. ZRU-445. This system provides a formal channel for citizens to submit complaints, requests and inquiries through multiple access points, including in-person visits, hotlines, official websites and email. The ESSA will further assess the functionality and effectiveness of the GRM, including its ability to capture and address Project-related grievances in a timely and transparent manner. The assessment will also consider measures to strengthen the system, where necessary, including improving accessibility, enhancing record-keeping practices and ensuring that feedback mechanisms are effectively communicated to stakeholders. Information on the established GRM and AIIB’s Project-affected People’s Mechanism (PPM) will be disclosed in the RBP area in a timely and appropriate manner. 

Monitoring and Supervision Arrangements: The MOPSE and its Project Management Office will lead the implementation monitoring under this RBF Project. In accordance with the results of the ESSA, any necessary ES actions will be documented in the ES Action Plan. The implementation of these ES actions will be systematically monitored and reported using the approved format throughout RBF Project implementation. AIIB will carry out annual site visits and support project implementation across all aspects, including technical design, ES safeguards, with a focus on institutional capacity building, results monitoring and evaluation. More details will be discussed and determined with the client during Project appraisal.

^[1] World Bank. 2026. P513205 - Draft Environmental and Social Systems Assessment (ESSA) - BILIM : Transforming Public Education for Economic Growth (English). March 26.