How households respond to better water infrastructure: Evidence from the Kyrgyz Republic

This Brief reports on recent EBRD research that estimates the impacts of investments to upgrade and improve municipal water infrastructure in the Kyrgyz Republic.

Fresh water is an increasingly scarce resource, and widespread participation in properly priced municipal water provision can help prevent excessive water usage. While the Kyrgyz Republic has improved its municipal water infrastructure over the last 20 years, popular resistance to price increases has hindered the introduction of cost-reflective tariffs. This EBRD Impact Brief explores how households responded to improved water infrastructure in the Kyrgyz Republic, in terms of connecting to the municipal water network and how much more they would be willing to pay for improved services.