Tajikistan is the poorest country in Central Asia. Almost 27% of country’s GDP is dependent on remittances.

The Russian-Ukrainian conflict led to sanctions imposed against Russia. Those restrictions are negatively affecting the economic situation in Tajikistan. Climate change is compounding and accelerating the ongoing depletion of the natural resources such as water, soil and biodiversity. It has damaging effects on the agriculture and the energy sectors, the transportation and water infrastructure, etc. It ranks first in terms of vulnerability to climate change in Europe and Central Asia (WB source).

Agriculture continues to constitute the dominant livelihood of villagers in Southern Tajikistan, in spite of difficult frame conditions such as an arid climate, land scarcity, outdated agricultural practice and – in the case of Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO) – compounded by high altitude.

Productivity in the region is low and – in spite agriculture being the predominant in local economies – food security and livelihoods of people depend substantially on imported foodstuffs and remittances from labour migrants. The outdated resource intensive model relies heavily on technological input and forming soils and landscapes to fit farmers’ needs, rather than concentrating on effective and careful use of the existing natural resources.

Agricultural smallholders in the 6 target districts of Shugnon, Rushon, Ishkashim (GBAO), Khovaling, Muminobod and Shamsiddin Shohin (Khatlon).

In total, > 800 farmer families will benefit from this intervention, resulting in > 4000 people (family members) as indirect beneficiaries – among which 50% women. Approximately 400 families will be allocated land plots on the newly irrigated lands. The same number of smallholders in neighbouring villages will additionally participate in the trainings provided by the project.

200 potential replicators will be reached by the projects, upscaling component, receiving exact planning figures and cost-benefit analysis for their project ideas.

Outcome 1: Through the project’s innovative approaches, over 100ha of currently unproductive lands are turned into extensive orchards, fodder or vegetable gardens that are managed according to the principles of conservation agriculture.

Outcome 2: Climate smart solutions will be tested towards their relevance on climate change adaptation and economic viability and presented in a framework to enable scaling and replication of the solar powered irrigation model beyond the project.

Expected results:  

Output 1: 100 ha of new agricultural land will be irrigated by solar pumps, providing water according to applicable FAO norms for cultivation of orchards, vegetables, and fodder crops.

Output 2: On min. 90 ha of the newly irrigated land, orchards or vegetable plantations are established, equipped with water saving spot irrigation technology and protected from roaming animals. The plantations correspond to the principles of climate smart conservation agriculture and are co-owned by hundreds of smallholder farmers.

Output 3: Small holder farmers in target areas measurably increased their knowledge on conservation pomiculture, climate smart vegetable cultivation, integrated pest management and efficient water management.

Output 4: Three solar heated greenhouses utilize excess energy from PV arrays and pioneer cultivation of winter vegetables in the upper GBAO region and elevated regions of Kathlon oblast.

Output 5: Conditions for informed decision making are available.

The project will work with the following partners:

• The Ministry of Energy and Water Resources - on the basis of the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
• State Land Committee
• District and Jamoat authorities
• Local Departments of Ecology, Social Protection, Agriculture and Water at the districts level
• Academia
• Water Users Associations (WUAs)