The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors approved a $35 million concessional credit to support Uzbekistan in improving the availability and use of geospatial data, in alignment with international best practices. The project will contribute to the digitalization of public service delivery and advance territorial development. The Government of Uzbekistan will contribute approximately $5.7 million in co-financing.
Uzbekistan’s rapid urbanization—now with more than 50% of the population living in cities—has increased pressure on land, infrastructure, and public services, particularly in major urban centers. This growth has resulted in a lack of detailed geospatial data on land and infrastructure use, which limits the government’s ability to effectively plan and manage territorial development and restricts opportunities for residents and businesses.
The private sector also faces challenges due to limited access to reliable geospatial data on land, infrastructure, transport, as well as water and energy connectivity. This lack of accurate, up-to-date data discourages investment opportunities by making it difficult for businesses to assess risks and identify viable investment locations. The resulting data gap undermines investor confidence and limits private sector participation in sectors that are crucial for economic development.
To address these issues, Uzbekistan established the legal basis for the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) in 2021. The NSDI is intended to support informed planning and sustainable territorial development by enabling transparent and efficient collection, storage, management, and sharing of geospatial data.
“While good progress has been made, further opportunities remain to strengthen the implementation of the NSDI,” said Tatiana Proskuryakova, World Bank Director for Central Asia. “These include improving geospatial data sharing, completing cadastral basemaps, establishing an infrastructure cadastre, and building the capacity of regional authorities to manage geospatial data. The World Bank is pleased to support this project, which will help the Government achieve improvements in all of these areas.”
The newly approved project will be implemented by the Cadastre Agency under the Ministry of Economy and Finance of Uzbekistan over the 2025–2030 period and includes the following components:
Component 1: Supporting NSDI development at the central level. The project will strengthen the NSDI as part of Uzbekistan’s digital government system and support the design of its digital architecture, the establishment of three new data centers, the standardization of various types of geospatial data, and the development of a national geoportal.
These improvements will, among other benefits, enhance geospatial data transparency and increase trust among citizens and the private sector by providing a single, reliable source of accurate information through the NSDI.
Component 2: Strengthening geospatial infrastructure at the regional and municipal levels. The project will improve Uzbekistan’s mapping and surveying systems at the regional and municipal levels and upgrade national surveying and mapping equipment and software, including the installation of 80 new Continuously Operating Reference System (CORS) stations (for GPS data). This will further improve the quality of maps and land data used across the country.
The project will also modernize the national land information system (UzKAD), create a national address registry, and improve data sharing within the Government and with the private sector.
Additionally, the project will pilot new mapping technologies in Samarkand, including the creation of a 3D city model and a utility cadastre (infrastructure mapping). These tools will help municipal officials manage urban growth and prepare for climate-related disasters.
Overall, the project will enhance the quality of land and property data, helping eliminate constraints such as tenure insecurity and enabling the private sector to more effectively utilize land and property resources, fostering the creation of new businesses.
