President Emomali Rahmon has warned of the severe impact of climate change on Tajikistan’s food security, noting that in 2025 the yields of several agricultural crops have fallen by almost fifty percent.
He described this as a direct consequence of increasingly intense climatic processes, whose effects across the region have become impossible to ignore.
Speaking at the seventh Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia in Tashkent, Rahmon stressed that the climate agenda is becoming a central pillar of regional cooperation.
Tajikistan which is made up of 93% mountainous terrain, faces annual landslides, floods, droughts and avalanches — disasters that cause casualties and inflict significant damage on infrastructure.
Rahmon points out that rapid retreat of glaciers as one of the most alarming trends; Tajikistan is home to more than 13,000 glaciers that generate around 60% of Central Asia’s water resources.
However, over the past years more than 1,000 glaciers have already disappeared. This, he noted, directly affects food security, access to water and the stability of regional ecosystems, making climate challenges an urgent matter for international cooperation. Tajikistan is actively promoting global initiatives on water and climate and aims to remain one of the key drivers of efforts to find sustainable solutions for the region.
Findings from the new Global Drought Outlook report, prepared under a UN initiative, reinforces Dushanbe’s concerns: Central Asia is identified as a region with rapidly growing climate vulnerability, facing intensifying droughts and shrinking glaciers.
For Tajikistan however, this presents additional risks to both energy and agriculture. More than 90% of the country’s electricity is generated by hydropower, but summer droughts reduce river flows precisely during peak demand. Low water levels following snow-poor winters prevent reservoirs from replenishing, jeopardising energy security.
In agriculture, the dire situation is aggravated by ageing irrigation infrastructure with over half of the country’s 14,000 kilometres of canals requiring major reconstruction.
Despite the scale of the challenges, Tajikistan is already implementing a set of measures to reduce land and water vulnerability.
Under the CACILM-2 programme (the Central Asian Countries Initiative for Land Management), aimed at disseminating advanced sustainable land-management practices and combating desertification, the country’s share amounts to nearly USD 1.5 million.
Across rural areas, fruit and grape nurseries are being established, greenhouses with drip irrigation installed, freshwater storage facilities constructed in drought-prone zones, and remote sensors deployed to monitor water sources in real time.
The country is also testing drought-resistant crops and agroforestry techniques. Since 1997, Tajikistan has been an active participant in the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, seeking to adopt resource-efficient technologies and climate-adaptation solutions.
Officials emphasise that these efforts are designed not only to stabilise the current situation but also to build a foundation for long-term food resilience — a priority that is becoming ever more urgent as climate change accelerates.
Iran and Israel said on Monday (8 June) they had halted attacks on each other following an appeal from U.S. President Donald Trump, as Axios reported...
A Sudanese man has been arrested over a knife attack in Belfast that left a man seriously injured and prompted calls online for a protest after footag...
The United Nations has warned that Afghanistan's relative stability may not be sustainable unless the country's current authorities change policies af...
Iran's FIFA World Cup 2026 squad arrived in Mexico wearing badges bearing the hashtag "168" in memory of victims of the deadly Minab school missile st...
Chinese President Xi Jinping is wrapping up a two-day state visit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang. It was his first trip to the cou...
Tajikistan is hosting the Fourth International Conference on the International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable Development” from 25 to 28 May in Dushanbe, bringing together thousands of participants from governments, international organisations and financial institutions.
Tajik scientists have warned that glaciers in the Pamir Mountains are melting at an alarming rate, including in high-altitude areas previously considered relatively stable, following the country’s first direct winter glacier measurements since independence.
Tajikistan and China signed more than 50 agreements worth more than $8 billion during President Emomali Rahmon’s visit to Beijing, deepening economic ties and reinforcing China’s role as Tajikistan’s leading investor and creditor.
Samarkand is hosting the 59th Annual Meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), where global leaders have gathered to discuss regional growth, as the bank unveils a major $70 billion initiative to strengthen energy and digital connectivity across Asia and the Pacific.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's Civil Contract party has won the Armenian elections, picking up nearly half the vote. With a majority in parliament, Pashinyan is set for a third term as Prime Minister. But an opposition politican has said he will challenge the election results.
The results of Armenia’s parliamentary elections will determine the makeup of the National Assembly and shape the country's political direction for the foreseeable future. But in Armenia, the final result is not decided by vote percentages alone. Here's how it works.
Barcelona is preparing to mark a historic milestone in the legacy of architect Antoni Gaudí as Pope Leo XIV visits the city this week to inaugurate the Tower of Jesus Christ at the Sagrada Família basilica, almost exactly 100 years after the visionary architect’s death.
A Sudanese man has been arrested over a knife attack in Belfast that left a man seriously injured and prompted calls online for a protest after footage of the incident circulated widely on social media.
Iran and Israel have halted strikes on each other, but Tehran has warned it will recommence attacks if Israel continues military action in Lebanon. U.S. President Donald Trump and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun have meanwhile made pleas for peace.
France’s parliament has formally recognised state responsibility for the use of the toxic pesticide chlordecone in Martinique and Guadeloupe, marking a significant step in addressing decades of environmental contamination and public health concerns.
Financial markets are significantly underestimating the economic impact of biodiversity loss, potentially leaving countries exposed to sovereign debt crises and rising borrowing costs, according to new research published on Friday.
Wildlife researchers have identified dozens of previously unknown insect species during an expedition to Angola’s remote Lisima Plateau, a conservation group announced on Wednesday.
Global weather forecasters predict a strong El Niño will develop in the second half of 2026, bringing hotter, drier conditions to much of Asia while increasing rainfall in parts of North and South America.
Google has asked U.S. regulators for permission to release up to 32 million sterilised mosquitoes in California and Florida as part of its experimental “Debug” programme aimed at reducing populations of disease-carrying insects.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment