Natural disasters cause $5.7 million in damage across Tajikistan in six months

Natural disasters caused $5.7 million in damage across Tajikistan during the first half of 2026, as hundreds of avalanches and mudflows swept through the country, killing 12 people, according to government figures.

Scale of the damage

A total of 741 natural emergencies were recorded between January and June, according to Rajabali Rahmonali, chairman of Tajikistan's Committee for Emergency Situations and Civil Defence.

Avalanches and mudflows accounted for most of the damage. Authorities recorded 508 avalanches and 123 mudflows during the six-month period, with the latter responsible for more than half of the fatalities.

Prevention efforts continue

As Tajikistan continues to face recurring natural hazards, authorities say efforts are under way to reduce the risks. These measures include monitoring vulnerable areas, reinforcing riverbanks, improving early warning systems and informing communities about potential threats.

However, efforts to better understand and prevent such disasters have faced setbacks stretching back decades. Specialists began assessing landslide risks at the Tajikgiprovodkhoz institute in the late 1980s, but the work was halted by the civil war in the early 1990s.

Today, prevention work is carried out largely at the local level and, according to specialists, could take many more years to complete at the current pace, requiring continued support from state budgets and grant funding.

Ageing infrastructure raises concerns

The country's risks are not limited to natural disasters. Ageing infrastructure is particularly vulnerable in areas exposed to seismic activity, raising concerns about the potential consequences when the two threats coincide.

One such concern is a 14-kilometre irrigation tunnel that carries water from the Nurek Reservoir to the Danghara Valley. Built between the mid-1960s and 1986, the tunnel supplies around 100 cubic metres of water per second to the arid valley and has enabled the irrigation of approximately 100,000 hectares of land.

Around 170,000 people now live in the area served by the tunnel. Its ageing infrastructure has heightened concerns about the consequences of a possible failure, particularly during the irrigation season, when disruption to the water supply could have serious implications for agriculture and local communities.

A major failure could also force people to relocate to other parts of Tajikistan and potentially beyond the country's borders. Earthquakes in the surrounding mountains pose an additional threat to the ageing structure.

Long-term challenge

The combination of recurring natural disasters and vulnerable infrastructure presents a long-term challenge for Tajikistan.

While avalanches, mudflows and landslides continue to claim lives and cause economic damage, strengthening disaster prevention measures and protecting critical infrastructure remain central to reducing the impact on communities across the country.

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