Strengthening Weather and Climate Services in Tajikistan

Tajikistan is a land-locked, mountainous country in Central Asia, and has a climate characterised by sharp fluctuations in daily and seasonal temperatures, high intensity of solar radiation, aridity, little cloud cover, and uneven distribution of precipitation across seasons. Climate change poses major challenges for Tajikistan as the country is highly exposed and has relatively low adaptive capacity. The World Bank lists Tajikistan as the most vulnerable country in Central Asia, and out of 180 countries ranked on the University of Notre Dame's Global Adaptation Index, Tajikistan ranks 111th. Therefore, much progress is needed to be prepared for future climate change and climate-related challenges. In Tajikistan, heavy precipitation causes flooding and significant erosion leading to damage. Furthermore, there are food security concerns due to dust storms and drought, increasing poverty, and decreasing agricultural productivity. This decline means that agricultural yields could fall by up to 30% by 2100 in some parts of the country, potentially increasing food insecurity for 2 million people, and presenting an immediate hunger risk for 800,000. The annual cost of extreme climate events in Tajikistan is estimated at US$600 million, making up 4.8% of GDP.

 

The project aims to find solutions to improve Tajikistan’s State Agency for Hydrometeorology of the Committee of Environmental Protection (Tajik Hydromet), a key player in the country’s climate, water and weather observations. One major issue is that many of the nation’s weather stations are outdated, with 10 being over 100 years old, and many being in hard to access locations. Through the support of international donors, Tajikistan plans to build a new central office for Tajik Hydromet, rehabilitate stations, introduce robust transport links to remote weather stations, and improve access to regional numerical weather models.