At Cop29, President Rakhmon presented the plan for the country’s complete transition to a green economy by 2037. Challenges for a reality in which fields face long periods of drought, harvests are reduced even in rainfed crops , and many livestock losses are putting a strain not only on workers in the agricultural sector, but on the entire population.
Dushanbe () – The President of Tajikistan, Emomali Rakhmon, also attended the Cop29 in Baku, which concluded a few days ago, and presented the plan for the country’s complete transition towards a green economy by 2037, the National Strategy Development that considers the ecological dimension as an “indispensable task for survival.”
Since the independence of Tajikistan at the end of the Soviet period, the country has faced serious economic problems, which threaten its political and social stability, and its security in general. The Strategy-2030, approved by the Dushanbe Parliament in 2016, describes the main problems that must be addressed, which await effective responses, and one of the main points refers to the measures that must be taken to address climate change, Tajikistan being very exposed to devastating consequences.
Of the 180 countries listed by the University of Notre Dame for climate adaptation, Tajikistan ranks 111, with other negative marks for various sectors. The economic damages due to extreme weather events in the country amount to 400 million dollars, that is, 4.8% of the entire national GDP. The Strategy outlines a series of strategic commitments: security of food production, breaking the communications gridlock and ecological security. In 2018, Rakhmon also added the need for true industrialization of the country.
However, all these objectives are linked to climate issues, which greatly affect the development of Tajik society, starting with the problems of agricultural production. Long periods of drought, reduced harvests of dryland crops and numerous losses in livestock farming affect the fields, placing a burden not only on workers in the agricultural sector, but on the entire population. Many farmers abandon their lands in search of more fertile areas, and are forced to use enormous amounts of water to achieve some results even in new territories.
New production methods are sought and product quantities are reformulated to optimize efforts, seeking longer maturation times, and increasingly scarce water resources must be properly distributed. All of this affects at least 2 million people out of a population of more than 10 million, of which some 800,000 are well below the poverty line.
The melting of glaciers and the retreat of their extension, which constitutes the natural reserve for irrigation in Tajikistan, continue. The current rate of melting is estimated at between 0.5 and 0.8% per year, which could reduce glaciers by 15 to 20% by the end of the century, and smaller glaciers could disappear completely within a short time. 30 to 40 years old. Energy production is also very sensitive to climate changes, as it is closely linked to water systems that are at risk of running out of water.
There are also increasingly serious problems for the transport and infrastructure sector, with flooding of roads, bridges and railways due to violent and sudden rains, salt splashes on the asphalt and flooding due to thawing, starting with communications in mountainous areas. Many roads are temporarily blocked, and some seem impossible to restore.
The solutions are certainly not easy or immediate, and point to the need to switch to alternative energy sources as soon as possible, redesign the transport network and support workers in the sectors most affected by these phenomena. What is needed is more research and information, in collaboration with international institutions, the involvement of the entire population and the ability to attract strong investments, both national and foreign, breaking the traditional isolation of the Central Asian country.
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