The last time I laid eyes on Tajikistan before emigrating in 1991, the country was on its final descent into civil war. I was too young to understand the forces at work that were driving people toward conflict, but not young enough to be indifferent. The disintegration of the Soviet Union left the country with little direction and no leadership.
Energy-rich Azerbaijan may have made gains of late in giving its citizens reliable access to gas and electricity, but on one key front, potable water, the government is lagging. A large percentage, if not a majority, of Azerbaijan’s 8.2 million citizens lacks easy access to potable water.
