DUSHANBE, September 26, 2008, Asia-Plus — The upcoming winter in Tajikistan is predicted to be even more difficult that the past severe winter, President Rahmon said, while delivering a s statement at the 63 rd session of the UN General Assembly in New York on September 24, according to presidential press service.
According to him, climate change problems have negatively impacted the Central Asian region, and “this has told, first of all, on state of water resources.”
“Global warning has caused an area of glaciers in Tajikistan to reduce by more than 30 percent,” the Tajik head of state said, noting that water levels in the rivers of the region have declined over the past three years that entailed serious socioeconomic problems, causing drought, locust infestations and other difficulties,” said Rahmon.
“Without implementation of the hydroelectricity projects, the country will not be able to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and ensure sustainable growth that was proved by the past extremely severe winter that exposed all difficulties of the transition period. The upcoming winter and summer are predicted to be even more difficult than the past ones.”
The Tajik president noted that more than 55 percent of water resources of the Central Asian region are formed in the territory of Tajikistan. Tajikistan has reserves of water and power resources in the amount of 527billion kWh; however, at present the country is using only 5 percent of these reserves.
According to him, these reserves of water resources are able to provide irrigating cropping and other branches of agriculture of the region with fresh water and are also important environmentally and ecologically clean source for production of electrical power, the press service said.
Only integrated and mutually beneficial approach of the countries of the region to use of water and energy resources will ensure sustainable development of Central Asia and support solution of food and ecological problems that strongly depend on rational use of these resources, the Tajik leader noted.
“We hope for support of Bretton Wood Institutions (BWIs) and partners of UN from private sector for our plans,” Rahmon said, pointing to the necessity of creating such an economic mechanism for transmission of water and energy resources that would integrate interests of the countries of the upper reaches of rivers that are rich in water resources and the countries of the lower reaches of rivers that have hydrocarbon raw materials.
