Emomali Rahmon at the opening of the symposium on the theme "Strengthening cooperation to achieve sustainable development in the face of modern threats and challenges”, said that Tajikistan is under the negative impact of climate change.
In his speech, the President of the Republic of Tajikistan emphasized that strengthening and expanding cooperation and partnership in achieving sustainable development goals is directly related to joint initiatives to eliminate contemporary threats and ensure sustainable peace and stability.
The countries of Central Asia face big challenges in the form of financial, economic, energy and food crises, as well as the effects of climate change, which block the path to sustainable development in the social and economic spheres.
“The countries of our region also face issues and problems, the solution of which requires timely action at the national and regional levels. In this process, the Government of Tajikistan, as priorities of its socio-economic policy, identified such areas as effective use of natural resour
ces, ensuring diversification and competitiveness of the national economy, structural development of the country, reducing poverty, increasing the number of middle class societies, and protecting the environment and balanced regional development”, - the head of state noted.
E. Rahmon said that Tajikistan ratified the Paris Agreement on the climate and has already completed the procedures for accession to the process. The head of state assured that the implementation of this agreement creates favorable conditions for the adoption of joint measures to overcome the problems associated with climate change. At the same time, the Government of the country consistently takes necessary measures to adapt to climate change and reduce the risk of natural disasters, which is defined as priorities of the state's environmental policy. Special emergency management structures have been established to address the consequences of natural disasters.
“Ninety-three per cent of the territory of Tajikistan is mountainous and 60 per cent of the water resources of Central Asia are formed on its territory. At the same time, our country, due to its geographical location, is under the negative impact of climate change. Every year, in the country there are various natural disasters that hundreds of millions of dollars damage the national economy and become a cause of human sacrifice”, — told Mr Rahmon.
Tajik president also emphasized that climate change have irreversible consequences in the form of accelerated melting of glaciers and high water river. Thus, hydropower, agriculture and industry of the country fall under attack.