Tajikistan is planning a major modernization of the Tajik Sea reservoir, known until 2016 as the Kayrakkum Reservoir. The project is a strategic water initiative for the country and the wider Central Asian region.
Prospects for the project were discussed during a meeting between Tajikistan’s officials and representatives of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Ulaanbaatar, according to the Tajik state news agency Khovar.
According to Tajikistan’s Ministry of Energy and Water Resources, the talks involved Presidential Economic Adviser Ne’matullo Hikmatullozoda, Energy and Water Resources Minister Daler Juma, ADB Director General for Central and West Asia Leah Gutierrez, and Regional Head of Regional Cooperation and Integration Asad Aleem.
The meeting focused on the “Efficient Management of Water Resources of the Bahri Tojik Reservoir” project. Hikmatullozoda described the initiative as one of Tajikistan’s key infrastructure priorities, aimed at adapting to climate change and addressing transboundary water challenges.
The work would reinforce the reservoir’s protective dams to reduce flood risks and modernize its pumping stations. It also covers upgrades to irrigation, drainage, and collector systems, along with a digital monitoring system used to control and track water infrastructure.
Officials said the project is expected to improve water resource management under changing climate conditions. It is also intended to make irrigation supplies more reliable and expand hydropower generation capacity. A preliminary feasibility study has already been prepared with ADB support.
The Tajik Sea is located in Tajikistan’s Sughd Region on the Syr Darya River. The reservoir was created following the construction of a dam and hydropower station to regulate the river’s flow, with filling beginning in the 1950s.
Today, the Tajik Sea remains one of the country’s largest reservoirs and an important site for energy production and irrigation. The adjacent Kayrakkum Hydropower Plant generates electricity, while the reservoir supplies water for agriculture across the region.
