DUSHANBE, December 1, 2015, Asia-Plus – In a statement delivered at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon noted on November 30 that intensive glacier melting poses serious threat to the process of providing favorable conditions for people’s lives and protection of water resources.
He noted that the last decades witnessed a considerable degradation of Tajikistan glaciers that are vital for the entire Central Asian region. Suffice it to say that more than 1,000 of Tajikistan 14,000 glaciers have disappeared over the past 30 years, Rahmon stressed.
Climate change has led to increase in the number of natural meteorological disasters and degradation of the water eco system, Tajik leader said. As a result of the abnormal natural phenomena that have occurred this year, Tajikistan’s economy has suffered the damage worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Regrettably, the natural disasters also claimed human lives, Rahmon said.
President Rahmon also expressed concern that the current situation in basins of trans-boundary rivers may become more vulnerable because of gradual growth of population, increase in demand for development of industry, further expansion of irrigated areas, degradation of irrigation systems, in efficient use of water resources as well as inadequate opportunities for prevention of natural disasters and mitigation of their effects.
Tajikistan attaches an important significance importance to measures for adaptation to climate change that constitute an important component of sustainable development, Rahmon noted.
Tajik leader expressed hope that attraction of foreign investments for development of Tajikistan’s hydropower engineering and formation of favorable for exchange of renewable energy between the countries will promote reduction of carbon emissions.
Tajikistan is interested in establishment of cooperation with the Green Climate Fund and the Adaptation Fund in addressing climate change impacts, Rahmon noted.
We will recall that the Government of Tajikistan has adopted the National plan of action for mitigation of climate change impact. In compliance with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Tajikistan prepared three National Communications. Besides, climate change and adoption of measures for adaptation to climate change became an important component of the National Development strategy by 2030. In addition, the Tajik Government adopted a State plan for researching and protecting glaciers for the years 2010- 2030.
The 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference is being held in Le Bourget, from November 30 to December 11. It is the 21st yearly session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the 11th session of the Meeting of the Parties to the 1997 Kyoto Protocol (CMP). The conference objective is to achieve a legally binding and universal agreement on climate, from all the nations of the world.
According to the organizing committee, the objective of the 2015 conference is to achieve, for the first time in over 20 years of UN negotiations, a binding and universal agreement on climate, from all the nations of the world.
