The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $3 million grant to strengthen Tajikistan’s capacity for glacier monitoring and disaster forecasting. The grant is provided by the Japan Fund for a Prosperous and Resilient Asia and the Pacific (JFPR), financed by the Government of Japan through ADB.

“Glaciers and snow are essential for water supply, agriculture, and hydropower, but their rapid melting caused by extreme weather events can trigger devastating floods, avalanches, and other disasters,” said ADB Country Director for Tajikistan Ko Sakamoto. “This project will help the country gain advanced tools and skills to predict and respond to these threats, ensuring life safety and strengthening resilience.”

The Hydrometeorology Agency will be the implementing agency for this project, which is expected to be completed by 2029 and will be mainly implemented in selected areas of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region.

The project will enable the agency to improve the accuracy and efficiency of glacier and snow cover monitoring by creating a unified, integrated digital data system that will improve data collection, storage, and analysis.

The project also includes upgrading monitoring stations to collect and transmit real-time data, digitizing historical glacier data, and implementing advanced technologies such as remote sensing and machine learning to effectively monitor the cryosphere and predict natural disasters.

To manage the unified data system, the agency’s technical staff will be trained in modern methods of monitoring and data management, with the active participation of women.

The project will also improve early warning systems for the public regarding cryospheric hazards by creating disaster risk management plans, improving communication between local authorities and the public, and ensuring the clarity and timeliness of warnings.

Tajikistan joined ADB in 1998. This partnership has delivered tangible results for the people of Tajikistan—from the modernization of critical transport arteries such as the Obigarm–Nurobod, Dushanbe–Bokhtar, Ayni–Penjikent, Dushanbe–Tursunzoda, and Vose–Khovaling roads to the rehabilitation of key irrigation and water supply systems and the construction of hospitals and schools.

ADB also supported the construction of transmission lines and substations, the reconnection of the country’s power grid to the Central Asian power grid, and the reconstruction of large hydroelectric power plants such as Nurek and Golovnaya.

ADB is a leading multilateral development bank supporting inclusive, resilient, and sustainable growth in Asia and the Pacific. Working with its countries and partners to jointly address complex challenges, ADB uses innovative financial instruments and strategic partnerships to transform people’s lives, build quality infrastructure, and protect the planet. Established in 1966, ADB is owned by 69 members—50 from the region.

https://www.asiaplustj.info/ru/news/tajikistan/society/20251218/abr-podderzhivaet-monitoring-lednikov-i-ustoichivost-k-stihiinim-bedstviyam-v-tadzhikistane

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