Efforts to save melting glaciers to get boost from Tajik-UAE water, energy cooperation

• Published date: 19 May 2022
• Publication title: LETA

Although Tajikistan contributes a miniscule 0.03 percent to global gas emissions, the water-rich country has lost thousands of glaciers due to global warming and ended up among the top five climate vulnerable countries. The Central Asian nation is developing sustainable water and energy solutions as part of the efforts to save its glaciers, and the UAE's cooperation is pivotal in the initiatives, a top official told the Emirates News Agency (WAM).

"Tajikistan is home to 60 percent of water resources for Central Asia and Afghanistan with a population of over 100 million people, and we are also among the top five countries vulnerable to climate change. We have been losing thousands of our glaciers in recent years. We have to save glaciers as most of our water sources are coming from them," said Daler Juma, Minister of Energy and Water Resources Republic of Tajikistan.

Tajikistan is taking several global initiatives in water sector and the UAE can share its experience in this regard as a partner, he said. "We're going to host an international conference early June in our country," Juma said, referring to the Second International High-Level Conference on the International Decade for Action titled 'Water for Sustainable Development, 2018-2028' on the topic 'Catalysing water action and partnership at the local, national, regional and global levels', which will take place from 6th to 9th June in Dushanbe.

The minister, who visited Abu...