DUSHANBE, October 20, 2011, Asia-Plus — Water management is an integral part of poverty reduction and economic development of Tajikistan, Ms. Laylee Moshiri-Gilani, UNICEF Resident Representative in Tajikistan, remarked at the at the prepcom conference “Towards the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (RIO +20): Water Cooperation Issues” in Dushanbe today.
“The rivers of Tajikistan form some 64 percent of the average annual flow of the Aral Sea Basin, while the country is currently using only 10 percent of its water resources,” Ms. Moshiri-Gilani said.
She noted that despite the country’s rich water resources, only 40 percent of the population of Tajikistan had access to adequate water supply. “Besides, although the country has huge water-power resources, it has experienced acute power shortages over the past decade,” the UNICEF resident representative stressed.
Organized by the Government of Tajikistan and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) in cooperation with UN-Water, UNDP Office in Dushanbe and the South-South News, the prepcom two-day conference “Towards the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (RIO +20): Water Cooperation Issues” is concluding today. It has discussed current issues and challenges in water cooperation that will be later included in the concept note and the program of the thematic session on water cooperation in the framework of the Conference Rio+20.
The outcome of the Dushanbe conference, as well as the application on behalf of the Government of Tajikistan will be submitted to the Secretariat of the Conference Rio+20 before November 1, 2011.
