A high-level international conference was held in Dushanbe on May 30, 2025, dedicated to the acute problem of glacier conservation, aggravated by rapid climate change. Tajikistan’s Minister of Energy and Water Resources Daler Jumaa, opening the event entitled «Glaciers and access to water in the face of climate change: from glaciers to the sea», emphasized that unprecedented melting of glaciers is leading to changes in river flows, seasonal water availability and increased vulnerability communities. In this context, he said, renewable hydropower was seen as a strategic path to decarbonization and strengthening regional energy security.
On the sidelines of the conference, Tajikistan actively demonstrated its achievements and plans in the field of so-called «green» energy. A specialized exhibition «Sustainable Green Energy of Tajikistan» was organized, where participants, including foreign guests, were presented with existing hydropower projects and the country’s strategic goals in the development of renewable energy sources.
One of the significant practical results of the meetings was the signing of a trilateral Protocol between Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. The ministers responsible for water resources of the three countries – Daler Jumaa, Shavkat Khamroev (Uzbekistan) and Nurzhan Nurzhigitov (Kazakhstan) – agreed on the operating mode of the reservoir «Bahri Tojik» (Tajik Sea) for the summer months (June-August 2025). As stated by the Ministry of Energy of Tajikistan, this decision is aimed at the sustainable use of water resources of a large reservoir in the interests of all parties.
In parallel, a number of memorandums of understanding were signed to strengthen regional and international cooperation. Thus, an agreement was reached with the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation on an initiative «Blue Peace in Central Asia» aimed at sustainable management of regional water resources and the development of interstate dialogue, with an emphasis on expanding the potential of women and young professionals. Another memorandum was signed with the International Water Management Research Institute, which lays the foundation for cooperation in water sector priorities, including the integration of water issues with agricultural, energy and environmental development strategies.
Minister Daler Jumaa also held a series of bilateral meetings. Strengthening Tajikistan’s interaction with the UN, especially in the context of the International Decade for Action «Water for Sustainable Development, 2018–2028», was discussed with the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Water Resources, Rento Marsudi. At the meeting with the EU Special Representative for Central Asia, Eduards Stipreis, issues of expanding cooperation in the field of rational use of water and energy resources and the implementation of joint infrastructure projects were discussed.
Negotiations with the delegation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia were devoted to bilateral cooperation in the field of water resources and the fight against climate change. In addition, a meeting with the Acting Secretary General of the Energy Charter, Asuko Hirose, confirmed that Tajikistan will take over the chairmanship of the Energy Conference in 2025, which will be the first meeting after the implementation of the Energy Treaty reform «modernization».
Despite strong promotion of the «green» agenda, hydropower projects and numerous water cooperation agreements signed, the environmental impacts of proposed initiatives and ambitious water plans remain understudied, raising concerns about the long-term impact on the region’s fragile ecosystems, especially in the context of ongoing climate change and melting glaciers, which became the catalyst for these large-scale discussions.
Aigerim Aliyeva (Rivers.Help!)
