Tajikistan: Water is Life
In the midst of the SCO’s annual summit and the US Republican Party Presidential Convention both the New York Times and the International Herald Tribune found space on their front pages to discuss Tajikistan’s water woes. Now we have discussed Tajikistan much recently, mainly because of its hosting of the SCO summit, and we have also in the past talked about its at times, especially this last summer, dire water and energy situation, but I feel it important to take note when a major media outlets cover the story.
The Times does a solid job recounting the short and tumultous recent history of the state, the Soviet past, civil war, and harsh 2007-2008 winter, and the state’s obstacles in supplying its people and the region with water and energy, costs, lack of foreign investors, geographical roadblocks such as earthquakes and terrain, regional disagreements, and poor management. The article also does a curt, but still somewhat hard-hitting discussion of Tajik Rahmon government failures to provide services, especially energy related, to its people. In an interview, an American NGO official called ‘chronic mismanagement’ by the government the main culprit behind the energy failures of the last winter. David L. Stern, the author of the article, also reports that several unnamed diplomats and experts believe Tajik is threatening to become a ‘failed state.’ On the other hand, the article is mainly about the nation’s energy/water present and future arrangements and in discussing the Rogun dam proposal, the current use of the Nurek dam (Still the world’s tallest), and the problems with both, it was an informative article for many who most likely have never read much about the country. For a more in-depth look into the Tajik and Central Asia’s energy challenge, once again check out Johannes F. Linn’s two pieces, which I keep linking too, but not discussing, maybe tomorrow? (The Upcoming Water-Energy-Food Crisis Risks in Central Asia: Update on an International Response and Central Asia’s Energy Challenge: Overcoming the Natural Resource Curse)
It would be a travesty if I didn’t show you the excellent photo album accompanying the Times article. It showcases Tajik’s dams, geography, and its people beautifully: Dang it! I tried to embed it in, but was unable. Please follow link.
PS: Tajikistan and Russia signed a joint statement for expanding military and technical cooperation in order to ensure national and regional security during their the SCO summit.
(Photo Source: New York Times)
September 5th, 2008 at 4:38 am
[…] dire energy situation, reviewing the IHT reporting on the issue. Posted by Adil Nurmakov Print Version ShareThis […]
September 11th, 2008 at 8:17 am
[…] 2. Water-Food Crisis in CA - This is a companion piece to Linn’s earlier work on the impending water crisis in Central Asia after last year’s drought and particularly harsh winter, updating on the international response. In this piece, Linn is reporting back from another conference in Almaty, this one including international and bilateral agencies reviewing the region’s water-food situation and planning a response. Linn was overall pleased with the response, even calling it ’swift’, by the UNDP, international financial institutions, and bilateral donor agencies in order the help the region’s states to prepare for coming droughts and tough winters. Though we have just discussed Tajikistan’s water issues, Linn provides a review of the whole region’s situation and cites World Bank statistics and predictions regarding the region’s past and future levels of precipitation, temperature, snow cover, river flows, reservoir levels, and vegetation. Though there were many ‘normal’ signs of in these sectors, the World Bank report and Almaty conference warned of ’serious economic and social consequences’ for a majority of region if efforts were not made to solve the region’s water and food situations. I do not have time to go over all the recommendations, but Linn seemed hopeful that the international community would help the readiness of the region’s governments to respond with effective policies and interventions, instead of just squabble with each other as in the past, to minimize future hardships when, not if, they come to pass. This is great news that the leaders of CA and of the international community are getting together at a time of relative calm in order to help prepare for a moment of strain and pressure, but until those moments arise one can never really know how much progress was made. […]