TAJIKISTAN TACKLES GLOBAL WARMING
Konstantin Parshin: 9/7/01

Hit hard by drought during the past five years, Tajik authorities are anxious to address global warming and other sources of climate change. The government, working in conjunction with UN agencies, seeks to curb CFC emissions, which are a major source of ozone depletion. Implementing environmental safeguards poses significant civil society challenges for Tajikistan, as the country struggles to recover from a devastating civil war.

Tajikistan is a signatory of several international treaties on environmental issues, including the 1985 Vienna Convention and the 1987 Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. The Montreal pact called for the elimination of most sources of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) by 2000. Tajikistan joined the Montreal Protocol in 1998, but the country's ability to meet the pact's target date was hampered by the lingering effects of the 1992-97 civil war. The UN Development Programme hopes Tajikistan can eliminate most ozone-depleting substances (ODS) by 2003. Montreal Protocol provisions also present a challenge for Tajik Customs officials, who are responsible for enforcing regulations prohibiting the import and export of ODS sources.

Robert Berkeley, a senior consultant on environmental issues for the UNDP, recently conducted seminars on eliminating CFC emissions. Major CFC sources include refrigerators and air conditioners. Under a $400,000 aid program, the UNDP is providing the Tajik government with recovery and recycling equipment that can hasten the introduction of environmentally friendly refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment. The program is operating in four areas, including Dushanbe, Khatlon Province, the industrial Sugd region, and in the Karategin Valley in eastern Tajikistan.

The UNDP is providing aid to other states in Central Asia and the Caucasus, including Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

For Tajikistan, CFCs are just the beginning. The implications of Global Warming are considerable. The country is the source of roughly 50 percent of Central Asia's water supplies. In addition, most Tajiks depend on agriculture as the chief source of their livelihood. A drastic change in weather conditions stands to have a severe impact on the socio-economic situation in Tajikistan.

The country's leaders have long been sensitive to environmental issues. For example, the government authorized the creation in 1992 of a ministry for environmental protection, following up in 1994 with the formation of a ministry for nature protection.

Drought conditions this year caused at least $20 million in crop damage, according to Agriculture Minister Tursun Rahmatov. Nevertheless, President Imomali Rahmonov was quoted by Tajik Radio in August as describing the harvest as "not too bad." Tajikistan's estimated GDP is about $6 billion, with per capita GDP at just over $1,000.

The drought is exacerbating problems in several economic spheres. Hydroelectric energy production has long been one of Tajikistan's major industries. Over the last few years, however, water levels in both Nurek and Kairakoum reservoirs have significantly declined. Hydroelectric engineers have introduced measures to conserve water resources. But power outages have become a frequent occurrence, especially in the rural areas where antiquated equipment frequently suffers breakdowns.

There are indications that the international community is gaining the upper hand in the struggle to contain sources of ODS. Some scientists estimate that ODS levels in the atmosphere have started to decline for the first time in 50 years. Still, at the current rate a full ozone recovery would not occur until 2050 or later. Tajikistan's ability to meet targets on CFC and ODS reduction can serve as a significant gauge of the country's integration into the international community.

Editor's Note: Konstantin Parshin is a freelance writer based in Tajikistan.

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Posted September 7, 2001 © Eurasianet
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