Environmental Remediation Account for Central Asia

Central Asia played a significant role in providing uranium to the former Soviet Union, with mining operations spanning over 50 years. Despite the closure of most mines and processing facilities by 1995, little effort was made to address the environmental and health risks posed by the remaining toxic and radioactivewaste.

To tackle these hazards, EBRD established the Environmental Remediation Account (ERA) in 2015.

ERA is backed by the European Union as the largest donor, Belgium, Lithuania, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, and the United States of America. As of end-2025, the fund has received contributions of around €70 million. 

The ERA addresses the urgent threats posed by uranium legacy sites in the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, with particular emphasis on protecting the region’s breadbasket, the Fergana Valley from transboundary contamination.

By 2025 ERA has completed the remediation of four out of seven high priority uranium legacy sites identified in the IAEA’s strategic master plan. Min-Kush and Shekaftar in the Kyrgyz Republic and Charkesar and Yangiabad in Uzbekistan. All projects were completed on budget and schedule. Clean-up operations are now underway at the complex Mailuu-Suu in the Kyrgyz Republic. Addressing the Tajik sites is currently out of reach due to lack of funding.