Ukraine will receive an international grant for the first time to modernize hydrotechnical land reclamation. This concerns financing the upgrade of irrigation infrastructure in Odessa region after President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a law on the ratification of the relevant agreement with Italy. The document provides for the reconstruction of the Tatarbunar and Kiliya irrigation systems.

The Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine announced the launch of the project. The department emphasized that this is the first case of attracting grant resources for a large-scale upgrade of hydrotechnical land reclamation facilities.

The total amount of funding is 6 million euros. These funds will be directed to the comprehensive reconstruction of irrigation infrastructure in the southern part of Odessa region, which traditionally depends on the efficiency of water supply for stable agricultural production.

The project involves the modernization of pumping equipment, cleaning and restoration of irrigation canals, as well as the introduction of automated water supply management systems. This approach should ensure technological renewal of systems that have been in operation for a long time and require technical re-equipment.

It is expected that the implementation of measures will significantly reduce unproductive water losses, optimize irrigation regimes and increase the efficiency of water resources use. This is especially relevant in the context of climate change, when moisture deficiency is becoming one of the key challenges for the agricultural sector.

More than 50 agricultural producers in the south of Odessa region will benefit from the implementation of the project. In particular, the modernization will cover 43 users of the Tatarbunary irrigation system and 7 users of the Kiliya irrigation system. It is expected that the infrastructure renewal will contribute to the stability of yields and increase the competitiveness of regional agribusiness.