Melting glaciers and climate change are increasingly putting pressure on water resources in Tajikistan and the entire Central Asian region, according to a new Atlas of Environmental Change in Tajikistan, published by the UN Environment Programme. The information was distributed by the Secretariat of the Dushanbe Water Process.

According to the Atlas, the average annual temperature in Tajikistan has increased by 1.2 degrees Celsius in recent decades, almost double the global average. As a result of climate change, more than 1,000 glaciers in the country have already completely disappeared.

UNEP estimates that by 2050, the area of ​​glaciers in key river basins could shrink by more than half. This, the document notes, will lead to reduced flow of the Amu Darya, Panj, and Vakhsh rivers and increase the risk of water shortages.

The Atlas emphasizes that, against the backdrop of increasing natural disasters and growing climate risks, integrated water resources management and the development of transboundary cooperation are becoming critical for ensuring water security and sustainable development in the region.

The document emphasizes the need for coordinated action by Central Asian states in the face of accelerating glacier melting and increasing pressure on aquatic ecosystems.

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