Development of ecosystem protection and watershed management in Tajikistan                 

                                          

On November 10, in Dushanbe, within the framework of the project "An integrated landscape approach to increase climate change resilience among small farmers and livestock breeders in Tajikistan", a training on the use of ecosystem services assessment (ESAV) for the development of ecosystem protection and watershed management in Tajikistan was held in the conference hall of the Rumi Hotel - using the example of the Kafernigan River basin.

This training brought together key experts and stakeholders in the field of watershed management and ecosystem conservation to share experiences and identify future needs and ways forward in ecosystem assessment and financing in the Kafernigan River Basin and other parts of Tajikistan.

The main objectives of the training were to raise awareness of how ESAV can use its capabilities to protect the ecosystem and manage watersheds, in particular within the framework of the ongoing project of organizing ESAV methodologies and applications in Tajikistan, as well as by facilitating cooperation, exchange of information on ESAV between technical experts, researchers, planners and managers of watershed management and conservation ecosystems, and also by identifying needs and opportunities for further development of financial and economic approaches to watershed management and ecosystem conservation in Tajikistan, especially ESAV and PES.

Among other things, the project is piloting the development and application of an Ecosystem Services Assessment System (ESAV) in selected catchments in the DBK. The aim is to raise awareness among decision makers about the importance of ecosystem services in the watershed and to provide an economic case for sustainable watershed management and ecosystem-based adaptation activities.

The project manager, Nemonov Giesiddin, made an introductory speech. The project is funded by the Adaptation Fund and implemented by UNDP in Tajikistan jointly with the Committee for Environmental Protection under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan.