The two new water systems, financed by the ELS project, will benefit approximately 624 people. Present at the launch were representatives of the local district authorities, the local neighbourhood groups known in Uzbekistan as Mahalla Committees and the United Nations Development Programme in Uzbekistan.

Improved access to water and sanitation is one of the goals of the Welfare Improvement Strategy Paper to be achieved by the year 2010, in line with the international Millennium Development Goals. According to UNICEF in 2002, the access to water was 91% in urban areas and 84% in rural areas.

For the past three months, members of the two communities have provided free labour, machinery and other community assets for the reconditioning of an electric pump and installation of new water pipes in the communities of Karakol and Makhankanes No 3. To involve communities in its activities, the ELS project uses the time honoured practice of hashar whereby members of a community join hands and work voluntarily for the benefit of the whole community.

During his visit to Karakalpakstan, Mr. Klem met with central and government authorities and non-government partners to exchange ideas and review the current status of activities.

Mr. Klem also learned about the rich history, culture and traditions of the Karakalpak people during his visit to the National Fine Arts Museum, also known as Savitzki Museum and the famous Mizarkhan Complex with its underground built palace in Kojeliy District. He also caught a picturesque glimpse of the Navruz celebrations during one of the rehearsal sessions.

The ELS project in Karakalpakstan, already in its second year of implementation, is funded by the European Union and implemented by UNDP in Uzbekistan. The project works with mahallas, district Khokimiyats and mahalla committees to rehabilitate and improve people's access to community infrastructures such as water supply, rural medical centres, schools and gas infrastructures in the three districts of Karauzyak, Kegeliy and Shumanai.

For more information about the Millennium Development Goals in Uzbekistan, please go to http://www.un.uz/eng/mdgs.htm

For more information about UNICEF in Uzbekistan please see: http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/uzbekistan_statistics.html