Implementation of the commitments of the Republic of Tajikistan under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

The Founder of Peace and National Unity – Leader of the Nation, the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon in the framework of the international initiative to protect glaciers has noted that the negative impact of climate change on the environment has increased significantly in recent years, and this process is irreversible. Our planet's climate is changing and this trend is dangerous, the number and power of natural hydrometeorological phenomena is increasing, many sectors of the economy, natural ecosystems and public health are becoming more vulnerable to adverse weather conditions.

Tajikistan acceded to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1997 and ratified the Kyoto Protocol in 2008 to facilitate adaptation to climate change, manage and prevent disaster risks, and reduce their impact on the sustainable development of the country. Tajikistan submitted its first National Report on Climate Change in 2002, and subsequently in 2008, 2014, 2015 and 2022, which defined the country's contribution to the implementation of the Convention at the national level.
In order to implement the state policy towards adaptation to climate change, the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan adopted in 2019 the "National Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change of the Republic of Tajikistan for the period until 2030".
At the same time, the Republic of Tajikistan, in cooperation with development partners, has implemented a green economy strategy to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

At the 21st Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, in Paris on 30 November 2015, the Founder of Peace and National Unity - Leader of the Nation, the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, stated that "While Tajikistan's overall carbon dioxide emissions are low at the global level, Tajikistan is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change in the world.

As 93% of Tajikistan's territory is occupied by mountains, natural phenomena such as melting glaciers, changes in the flow of large rivers and their impact on the growth of agricultural production are negative factors of climate change in the region.

In this regard, the Strategy identifies the following four key sectors that are both climate change sensitive and a priority for development: energy, water resources, transport and agriculture. The National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy therefore also aims to support economic development and accelerate the recovery of all sectors of the economy.

Nowadays, Tajikistan attaches great importance to strengthening international cooperation to improve the environmental situation both within the country and in the region. Also taking climate change factors into account, Tajikistan generates 98% of its electricity from hydropower plants and is the sixth largest producer and exporter of green energy in the world.

At the same time, further development of Tajikistan's rich hydropower potential could contribute to a significant reduction of carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere, as well as contribute to the provision of clean electricity to countries in the region, which is considered one of the important foundations for the development of a "green economy".

We should note that the Republic of Tajikistan submitted its first biennial report and an updated form of Nationally Determined Contribution and Greenhouse Gas Emissions in 2021 to the Convention Secretariat and presented it at the 26th Conference of the Parties of the UN Framework Convention, which was held in Glasgow, Scotland, in 2021.