Tajikistan Environment - The Times Of Central Asia

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Water Security

Glacier Melt Threatens Central Asia’s Water Security, Experts Warn at Regional Forum

The accelerating retreat of glaciers poses a serious risk to water security across Central and West Asia, scientists and journalists warned during an online media forum jointly hosted by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) on December 10, according to Asia-Plus. The forum focused on the growing impact of glacial melt in mountain regions, including the Pamirs, Tien Shan, Hindu Kush, and Himalayas, where shrinking ice reserves are increasingly disrupting water supplies for agriculture, energy, and drinking water. A key highlight was the ADB’s Glacier to Farms (G2F) program, presented by senior climate adaptation specialist Chris Dickinson. The initiative, spanning nine countries including Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Armenia, and Georgia, aims to link glacier monitoring with practical, climate-resilient policy measures. Unlike past approaches that primarily diagnosed the problem, G2F offers technical and financial solutions designed to support communities in adapting to climate change. The $3.5 billion initiative, backed in part by $250 million from the Green Climate Fund, leverages a co-financing model that aims to attract $10 in additional investment for every dollar committed. The program envisions a full climate adaptation chain from satellite-based glacier monitoring and mountain observation stations to downstream interventions such as crop insurance, farmer support, and modernization of water infrastructure. “Glaciers are the origin of the entire food and water system,” Dickinson said. “Their rapid retreat threatens lives and livelihoods far beyond mountain regions.” Tajikistan serves as a pilot site for the program due to its heavy reliance on hydropower and its largely mountainous terrain. One of the project's key goals is to enhance the country’s hydrometeorological services and strengthen monitoring of snow cover, glacier movement, landslides, and related hazards. A modern early warning system is being developed for the Panj River basin, combining data on glacial lakes, mudflows, precipitation, and seismic activity. The alerts will be sent to vulnerable communities via mobile networks, complemented by local training programs to ensure proper responses. Forum participants noted that the effects of glacial retreat are already evident. Glaciers in the Tien Shan and Pamir ranges feed the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers, vital water sources for Central Asia’s agriculture, energy, and drinking needs. An estimated 74% of the Amu Darya’s flow comes from snow and glacier melt. In the Indus basin, the figure is about 40%. Yet only a small number of the region’s more than 54,000 glaciers are regularly monitored, leaving gaps in early warning systems and long-term planning. Experts from ICIMOD and ADB described glacier melt as a “cascading crisis.” Rising temperatures are fueling more frequent landslides, floods, and mudflows, while droughts reduce crop yields and damage pastures. Glacial lake outburst floods, sudden and destructive releases of water, pose grave risks to nearby settlements. Since the 19th century, the region has recorded around 500 such incidents, and their frequency could triple by the end of this century. Heatwaves and water quality issues further compound the risks. Recent glacial activity in Tajikistan underscored the forum’s urgency. In October, a massive...

Nature

Tajikistan’s Forests on the Brink of Extinction

Tajikistan's forests, already scarce, covering just 3% of the country's territory, are facing unprecedented threats due to climate change and human activity. These fragile ecosystems, vital for maintaining the country’s ecological balance, are rapidly disappearing, with far-reaching consequences for the environment and public safety. Since the early 1990s, Tajikistan’s forest area has shrunk significantly. Currently, forests cover approximately 423,000 hectares, compared to about 20% of the national territory a century ago. In the 19th century, tugai forests alone spanned one million hectares, now reduced more than eightfold. The causes of deforestation are complex: widespread logging during past energy crises, land conversion for agriculture, rising temperatures, and declining precipitation. These factors have accelerated ecosystem degradation and disrupted the country’s water balance. Forest loss is also directly linked to the rising frequency of natural disasters. According to the National Climate Report, the number of mudslides and landslides has increased by 25-30% over the past two decades. Experts estimate that one in five landslides in mountainous regions is directly related to deforestation. Climate warming is also hastening snow and glacier melt, resulting in sudden floods, while prolonged droughts render the soil brittle and unstable. Forests once served as a natural buffer against these effects, but are no longer able to perform this function effectively. As temperatures rise, Tajikistan’s forests are becoming increasingly susceptible to fires. In 2025 alone, wildfires scorched over 430 hectares of forest in nine regions, including Varzob and Penjikent. Compounding the crisis is inadequate infrastructure. “There are no roads, equipment cannot reach the area, and the material and technical base is poorly developed,” said Davlatali Sharifzoda, Deputy Director of the Forestry Agency. Rising temperatures are also fueling the spread of pests such as bark beetles, which threaten rare species already listed in the Red Book of endangered flora. Forest degradation is also contributing to soil erosion, particularly in mountainous areas. This poses a serious threat to agriculture, which occupies 3.7 million hectares of Tajikistan’s land. “Soils are becoming less productive due to rising temperatures and reduced rainfall, which reduces crop yields and complicates the lives of farmers,” said Murod Ergashev, a researcher at the Institute of Soil Science. Tajikistan’s forests are home to approximately 270 species of trees and shrubs, 30 of which are endangered. Biologist Rustam Muratov warns that ongoing degradation could lead to the irreversible loss of unique ecosystems and endemic species. The Tajik government is taking action. Under the Bonn Challenge, the country has committed to restoring 66,000 hectares of degraded forests by 2030. Plans include planting drought-resistant species, such as pistachio, walnut, and saxaul. The national forest sector development program for 2022-2026 aims to modernize nurseries, expand seedling production, and establish industrial plantations. The goal is to restore 15,000 hectares of forest, double forest productivity, and reduce livestock grazing in forest areas by 30%. Community involvement is key to sustainable forest management. In the Sangvor and Shokhin districts, local residents, with support from the FAO, participate in regulated harvesting of berries and medicinal plants. Tajikistan’s forests...

Environment

Tajikistan Struggles to Fund Cleanup of Soviet-Era Uranium Waste

Tajikistan continues to grapple with the extensive environmental legacy of the Soviet-era uranium industry. Tens of millions of tons of radioactive waste still pose serious risks to human health and the environment. Addressing this legacy will require hundreds of millions of dollars and sustained international support. Uranium mining in Tajikistan began in the 1940s in areas including Taboshar, Adrasman, and nearby settlements. After mining operations were shut down, the country was left with abandoned mines, underground tunnels, and extensive tailings ponds containing more than 55 million tons of radioactive waste across an area exceeding 170 hectares. In 2023, partial rehabilitation work was completed in Taboshar, where 7.6 million tons of waste, representing 17.5 percent of the total, were remediated. The Tajik government has agreed to continue cooperation with Russia, which is expected to allocate approximately $17 million for the reclamation of selected facilities. However, the most hazardous areas remain unaddressed. These include early-stage Taboshar tailings ponds, underground workings, and the Degmai complex. International consultants Wismut GmbH, WISUTEC GmbH, and GEOS estimate that restoring the Taboshar facilities will require approximately $9.5 million, while reclamation of the Degmai tailings pond is expected to cost about $27 million. All of these sites are included in the International Atomic Energy Agency master plan and have been designated as funding priorities. Progress remains slow, largely due to limited financial resources. Despite some external support, current funding levels fall far short of what is required. To date, only 17 percent of contaminated sites have been decontaminated. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development special environmental rehabilitation account for Central Asia has yet to become fully operational. In 2025, the government approved a national rehabilitation program covering the 2025 to 2030 period. The plan includes legislative updates, project design, implementation, and ongoing monitoring. Preliminary estimates suggest Tajikistan will need more than $110 million by 2030 to complete its remediation objectives. Given the scale of the required investment, international financing remains essential. Tajikistan is working to transform its uranium legacy into a manageable and transparent project, but without sustained international partnership, the challenge is unlikely to be resolved.

News Round-Up

Hydropower, Social Media and Climate Change: Some News From Tajikistan That You May Have Missed

Drought Triggers Power Rationing at Nurek Hydro Station In early December, the Tajik government reintroduced electricity rationing after reservoir levels at the Nurek Hydroelectric Power Station fell sharply, due to an unusually dry autumn. The station normally supplies around 70% of the national grid, but current water levels are significantly below last year’s benchmark, affecting both domestic consumption and exports. According to Reuters, water levels have dropped more than three meters in the past month. With shortages now affecting many regions, authorities have ordered public buildings to cut electricity outside of working hours and have switched off most street lighting. Tajikistan is seeking emergency imports from Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan to stabilize supply. The crisis highlights vulnerabilities in a system dominated by hydropower. While Tajikistan has invested heavily in modernizing Nurek and other plants to improve winter reliability, lower precipitation remains a persistent threat. For regional energy markets, particularly those looking at cross-border electricity trade, the situation demonstrates how even large renewable systems are becoming more unpredictable under climate stress. Rogun: Progress, Profits, and Persistent Disputes Ambition continues to define the Rogun hydropower project, intended to make Tajikistan a top electricity exporter in the Eurasia region. With a projected capacity of 3,780 MW, Rogun is designed to host the world’s tallest dam. Financing momentum is building: the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank has launched a $500 million multi-phase initiative, and Tajikistan has signed an energy-sale agreement with Uzbekistan at 3.4 US cents per kWh, paving the way for long-term regional integration. But Rogun’s size continues to attract scrutiny, especially downstream. An investigation has been approved by the World Bank’s Inspection Panel into claims from Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan that altered flows on the Amu Darya river could damage farmland and ecosystems. The project’s social footprint is also expanding, with resettlement estimates reaching as high as 60,000 people. Development banks have slowed some financing, pending stricter environmental and regional safeguards. Local environmental researchers and activists argue that international oversight is still insufficient, warning that the cumulative ecological impact of Central Asian dam-building could become irreversible if accountability is delayed. Digital “Likes” Decriminalised, But Restrictions Remain President Emomali Rahmon has signed amendments to remove criminal penalties for “liking” or otherwise reacting to online content labelled as "extremist". Under previous legislation, social media users could face up to 15 years in prison for interacting with banned material. More than 1,500 people have been prosecuted under those rules, according to Reuters. The government presented the reform as a correction of overly zealous enforcement, following Rahmon’s public criticism of harsh prosecutions. Yet rights monitors see only minimal change. The latest Human Rights Watch report on Tajikistan notes a continued clampdown on media, opposition figures and citizen journalists. The Committee to Protect Journalists ranks Tajikistan among the most restrictive media environments in Eurasia. European officials have echoed these concerns. An OSCE-backed statement by European embassies denounced the opaque eight-year treason conviction of journalist Rukhshona Khakimova, reportedly linked to analysis of Chinese policy. For many observers, the relaxed online...

Wildlife Conservation

UN Meeting on Wildlife Trade Rules on Saiga, Striped Hyena

Delegates to a United Nations meeting on global wildlife commerce have approved a proposal by Kazakhstan to loosen trade restrictions on the saiga antelope, while rejecting a move by Tajikistan to tighten protections for the striped hyena. The decisions came in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, where several thousand representatives from around the world have gathered for a meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or CITES. The conference, which runs from November 24 to December 5, was last held in Panama in 2022. The decision to relax trade in saigas, whose horns are used in traditional medicine, is a response to the spectacular recovery of the species after it was close to extinction. Kazakhstan presided over this conservation success story, and the CITES decision amends a “zero export quota” to exclude saigas only from populations Kazakhstan. A CITES committee adopted the proposal by a vote of 111 in favor, 7 against, and 14 abstentions, reported the Earth Negotiations Bulletin, which covers U.N. environment and development negotiations. A proposal needs a two-thirds majority vote to be approved. More saiga safeguards were added in an amendment backed by Britain, the European Union and the United States, and the situation will be reviewed at the next CITES meeting in a few years. Mongolia, which has a smaller, more vulnerable population of saigas, had opposed Kazakhstan’s initiative. Some groups, including the New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society, said the reopening of commercial trade in Kazakhstan’s saigas could increase consumer demand, promote poaching and put pressure on enforcement mechanisms. In the case of the striped hyena, Tajikistan unsuccessfully sought to persuade delegates to the wildlife trade meeting to place the species on Appendix I, a CITES designation that would effectively bar trade aside from with a few exemptions. The species, labeled “near threatened” by the global IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, is currently on the much less restrictive Appendix III. Algeria, Iran and Kazakhstan were among countries that backed Tajikistan’s proposal, while Britain, the European Union, Zambia and Tanzania said the proposal doesn’t meet Appendix I criteria, according to the Earth Negotiations Bulletin. A CITES committee rejected Tajikistan’s proposal in “a secret ballot of 75 for, 47 against and 13 abstentions,” the bulletin said, indicating that proponents did not pass the two-thirds threshold. The striped hyena has a vast range that includes Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia, but there is difficulty in obtaining data on the solitary, noctural species. Additionally, while habitat degradation and human-wildlife conflict are factors in the population’s decline, uncertainty over how much the illegal trade in the striped hyena is affecting its numbers may have raised questions about whether Tajikistan’s proposal was justified.

Wildlife Conservation

Tajikistan Seeks Stronger Protections for Striped Hyena at UN Wildlife Meeting

The striped hyena, listed as “near threatened” by international conservationists, has a vast range that includes Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia, but is difficult to monitor because of its nocturnal, solitary habits in often rugged terrain. Now Tajikistan is proposing tighter international protections for the species at the highest-level meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or CITES. The United Nations gathering in Samarkand, Uzbekistan – the first in Central Asia - regulates trade in tens of thousands of species of animals and plants. It began on Monday and runs until the end of next week. The sharp decline in global shark and ray populations is an urgent concern, and delegates will consider new restrictions on the fin and shark meat trade that conservationists hope will fend off the threat of extinction for some species. Tajikistan’s proposal on behalf of the striped hyena aims for a similar outcome, noting a “marked decline in the population size in the wild” despite the difficulty in obtaining data. Some estimates put the number at significantly below 10,000, and the global IUCN Red List of Threatened Species labels the species as “near threatened,” with “vulnerable” being the next category on a scale leading to extinction. The striped hyena’s range includes Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, according to the list. Israel has a relatively robust population and supports Tajikistan’s proposal. Habitat degradation, human-wildlife conflict, and the illegal trade in the striped hyena, which is allegedly trafficked into the exotic pet industry or whose body parts are used in traditional medicine, are some of the reasons for the decline of the species. The striped hyena is currently listed in Appendix III of CITES regulations, under a 2014 request by Pakistan, where there were reports of illegal trade for circuses, captures for dog-fighting training, and myths and perceptions that the hyena was digging up graves and attacking people. Appendix III provides for some protections in the international trade in listed species. Tajikistan wants CITES to move the striped hyena into the far more restrictive Appendix I. “Appendix I includes all species threatened with extinction which are or may be affected by trade,” CITES says. “Trade in specimens of these species must be subject to particularly strict regulation in order not to endanger further their survival and must only be authorized in exceptional circumstances.” To upgrade protections for the species, Tajikistan will need to secure a two-thirds majority vote at the CITES conference. The striped hyena was thought to be extinct in Tajikistan for many years, though a sighting in 2017 restored hope. Tajikistan, which endured a civil war in the 1990s, warned in its proposal that conflict elsewhere was a threat to the species it hopes to save. “With the recent political instability in Afghanistan and generally across the larger region where several conflicts are ongoing, it is anticipated a significant increase in illegal wildlife trade, further endangering the striped hyena population across its entire global home range,” the proposal said.