Tajikistan is Highly Vulnerable to Climate Change Impacts
According to experts from Tajikistan, the Central Asian countries have to take serious actions to protect the environment and adapt to climate change.
In mid-October 2021, the Committee for Environmental Protection of Tajikistan published the Comprehensive State Program for the Development of Environmental Education and Awareness of the Population for 2021-2025, which the government adopted in April. Within its framework, the state intends to raise public awareness of environmental problems.
This 18-page Program emphasises that people should not remain indifferent to environmental problems. The Program provides for compulsory environmental education in the country's education system – in all educational institutions.
The document also states that citizens should be actively involved "at all stages of making decisions on the implementation of any project related to the use of natural resources, as well as on issues that may affect the environment".
In recent years, there has been no citizen advocacy for environmental issues, and the projects of building environmentally harmful enterprises, in particular, the cement plants, are implemented without civil society's participation.
In 2019, the Tajik authorities adopted the National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy of the Republic of Tajikistan for the period until 2030. However, the government never published the full version of this document, and CABAR.asia journalist was unable to obtain it from the Committee for Environmental Protection. The representatives of the Committee only said, "The Strategy will contribute to the implementation of state policy in the field of adaptation to climate change".
The strategy was adopted amid the experts' criticism of the government's actions. One of the environmental experts' complaints was the use of Chinese technologies that pollute the environment in the country.
The inflow of Chinese investments and creation of the enterprises with Chinese capital in Tajikistan began in 2005. Since then, dozens of Chinese factories were opened in the country, which, according to the experts, are harmful to the environment, in particular, cement plants in Yovon district of Khatlon region and in Sughd region, as well as the thermal power plant in Dushanbe.
This 18-page Program emphasises that people should not remain indifferent to environmental problems. The Program provides for compulsory environmental education in the country's education system – in all educational institutions.
The document also states that citizens should be actively involved "at all stages of making decisions on the implementation of any project related to the use of natural resources, as well as on issues that may affect the environment".
In recent years, there has been no citizen advocacy for environmental issues, and the projects of building environmentally harmful enterprises, in particular, the cement plants, are implemented without civil society's participation.
In 2019, the Tajik authorities adopted the National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy of the Republic of Tajikistan for the period until 2030. However, the government never published the full version of this document, and CABAR.asia journalist was unable to obtain it from the Committee for Environmental Protection. The representatives of the Committee only said, "The Strategy will contribute to the implementation of state policy in the field of adaptation to climate change".
The strategy was adopted amid the experts' criticism of the government's actions. One of the environmental experts' complaints was the use of Chinese technologies that pollute the environment in the country.
The inflow of Chinese investments and creation of the enterprises with Chinese capital in Tajikistan began in 2005. Since then, dozens of Chinese factories were opened in the country, which, according to the experts, are harmful to the environment, in particular, cement plants in Yovon district of Khatlon region and in Sughd region, as well as the thermal power plant in Dushanbe.
For example, the Dushanbe-2 thermal power plant built using Chinese technologies runs on coal. Last year, the representatives of the Committee for Environmental Protection stated that out of 17,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere (emitted annually by Dushanbe enterprises), 14,500 tons belong to the Dushanbe-2 thermal power plant.
Some experts, including the Head of "Dasti Yori" NGO Muazzama Burkhanova, say that construction projects of large enterprises and even the capital's thermal power plant are adopted "secretly", without consideration of the independent experts' opinion. Other experts say that in order to develop the economy and create jobs, the Tajik authorities agree to introduce technologies China has banned on its territory.
The authorities deny these accusations, but, at the same time, do not rule out the possibility that Chinese companies are harming the environment.
93% of Tajikistan's territory is mountainous. According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), Tajikistan's annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are 0.4 tons of CO2 per capita, and the country ranks 160th out of 200 countries by this criterion.
The authorities deny these accusations, but, at the same time, do not rule out the possibility that Chinese companies are harming the environment.
93% of Tajikistan's territory is mountainous. According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), Tajikistan's annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are 0.4 tons of CO2 per capita, and the country ranks 160th out of 200 countries by this criterion.
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"Although at present the contribution of Tajikistan to global GHG emissions is very low, Tajikistan is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change," highlights the joint Environmental Performance Review of Tajikistan by UNECE and UN experts.
Some experts believe the government of Tajikistan is not making sufficient efforts to protect the environment. UNECE experts believe the low status of the Committee for Environmental Protection is the core reason for "insufficient progress with integration of environmental requirements into sectoral policies and legislation".
The authors also believe the current status of the Committee is not sufficient to ensure the implementation of the National Development Strategy for the period until 2030 and other strategic documents on environment and socioeconomic development.
"The current environmental enforcement practices are biased towards petty offences. Monetary penalties are numerous but established and applied at low levels. The legally set level of fines is lacking proportionality in a number of cases. The court system exhibits low awareness about, and experience in, environmental cases," the Review notes.
Some experts believe the government of Tajikistan is not making sufficient efforts to protect the environment. UNECE experts believe the low status of the Committee for Environmental Protection is the core reason for "insufficient progress with integration of environmental requirements into sectoral policies and legislation".
The authors also believe the current status of the Committee is not sufficient to ensure the implementation of the National Development Strategy for the period until 2030 and other strategic documents on environment and socioeconomic development.
"The current environmental enforcement practices are biased towards petty offences. Monetary penalties are numerous but established and applied at low levels. The legally set level of fines is lacking proportionality in a number of cases. The court system exhibits low awareness about, and experience in, environmental cases," the Review notes.
The UNECE Review authors note that the environmental pollution in Tajikistan is not decreasing due to the low fines. In addition, according to the authors of the report, "State budget funds allocated to environmental protection have remained quite limited".
Tajikistan is not a Party to the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution and its protocols. However, the country acceded to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Like other countries of the region, Tajikistan is participating in the UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow, UK, where its delegation will report on the progress in the field of environmental protection.
Another problem pointed out by experts is the widespread consumption of coal for heating.
After the collapse of the central heating system, the houses in many residential areas are now heated with electricity, bottled gas, or coal-fired stoves.
"Such stoves contribute to a deterioration of the ambient air quality, as emissions are not abated and chimneys are relatively low," notes the UNECE Review.
The authors of the Review note that the rate of illegal deforestation in Tajikistan is higher than the natural forest regeneration ability, and that the country's forest area is shrinking. According to UNECE experts, the forest cover is estimated at only 2.95% of the total territory of Tajikistan.
Meanwhile, the residents say they are forced to cut trees and use coal to heat their houses.
It is difficult to obtain detailed information on environmental issues from official structures in Tajikistan. In particular, the employees of the Committee for Environmental Protection did not answer CABAR.asia journalist's written requests for three weeks.
Tajik ecologist Hasan Asoev says various environmental programs are implemented in Tajikistan, but they all depend on one factor – the negative human impact on nature. Their success, according to him, depends on the social status of the population.
Tajikistan is not a Party to the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution and its protocols. However, the country acceded to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Like other countries of the region, Tajikistan is participating in the UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow, UK, where its delegation will report on the progress in the field of environmental protection.
Another problem pointed out by experts is the widespread consumption of coal for heating.
After the collapse of the central heating system, the houses in many residential areas are now heated with electricity, bottled gas, or coal-fired stoves.
"Such stoves contribute to a deterioration of the ambient air quality, as emissions are not abated and chimneys are relatively low," notes the UNECE Review.
The authors of the Review note that the rate of illegal deforestation in Tajikistan is higher than the natural forest regeneration ability, and that the country's forest area is shrinking. According to UNECE experts, the forest cover is estimated at only 2.95% of the total territory of Tajikistan.
Meanwhile, the residents say they are forced to cut trees and use coal to heat their houses.
It is difficult to obtain detailed information on environmental issues from official structures in Tajikistan. In particular, the employees of the Committee for Environmental Protection did not answer CABAR.asia journalist's written requests for three weeks.
Tajik ecologist Hasan Asoev says various environmental programs are implemented in Tajikistan, but they all depend on one factor – the negative human impact on nature. Their success, according to him, depends on the social status of the population.
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"If the children are freezing at home, the people have to cut trees for firewood to keep their children warm. It is the same for everyone. We will be able to solve environmental problems only when we raise the social standard of living. In case we do not improve the economic standard of living of the population, we will not achieve any success in solving environmental problems," says Asoev.
Author:
CABAR.asia
Editors:
Natalia Lee
Marat Mamadshoev
Marat Mamadshoev
Layout and design
Tolgonai Akimova
This article was prepared as part of the Amplify, Verify, Engage: Information for Democratisation and Good Governance in Eurasia project implemented by IWPR and funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and mentoring program of the Development of New Media and Digital Journalism in Central Asia project implemented by IWPR with the financial support of the UK Government. The content of the article does not reflect the official position of the IWPR, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or the Government of the United Kingdom.
