In the landlocked central Asian country of Tajikistan, Abt Associates is managing Building Capacity for Climate Resilience, a project funded by the Asian Development Bank to introduce and demonstrate ways to integrate climate risk and resilience into core development planning and implementation.

Tajikistan is 93 percent mountainous, which severely limits its arable and livable land. This topography, coupled with the country’s strong reliance on agriculture and hydropower – these sources account for 25 percent of its gross domestic product and 98 percent of total energy production, respectively – make it highly vulnerable to climate change. Extreme weather events already cause $600 million in damage annually, equaling 4.8 percent of GDP. However, people in Tajikistan, especially in rural areas where 70 percent of the population lives, are relatively unfamiliar with the concept of climate change or how to adapt to climate impacts.

Abt Associates is implementing the following key activities to respond to these challenges and strengthen the climate resilience of the Tajik people:

• Creating a climate modeling facility and curricula: Abt is developing a climate modeling facility and associated curricula to help build local capacity to accurately predict and adapt to climate variability and change;
• Supporting the development of national and local adaptation plans and integrating them into government planning;
• Establishing knowledge management systems: Abt is working with government, industry, and civil society to create new methods for disseminating climate information and services to support community-driven adaptation;
• Forming monitoring and evaluation standards: Abt is introducing metrics and building local capabilities for monitoring and evaluation of climate investment projects to ensure sustainable, meaningful results and track progress toward the country’s climate-resilient development goals; and
• Identifying ways for funding future climate change projects: Abt is helping Tajikistan build the capacity of the Committee of Environmental Protection (COEP) to serve as a National Implementing Entity, which will enable it to access funds needed for climate risk management from climate financing sources, such as Climate Investment Fund and Green Climate Fund.

This project is part of the multi-donor supported Pilot Program for Climate Resilience (PPCR), which under the global Climate Investment Fund seeks to equip vulnerable countries with information and tools to prepare for climate change. For more information on the activities under the PPCR in Tajikistan please visit the PPCR web site.

Read more about the Building Capacity for Climate Resilience Project:

• Republic of Tajikistan: Building Capacity for Climate Resilience