DUSHANBE, May 30 (Alliance News): President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon on Friday called upon the international community to take urgent and decisive measures for the protection of glaciers and emphasized the need to strengthen multilateral cooperation for comprehensive glacier monitoring.
Addressing the High-Level International Conference on Glaciers’ Preservation in Dushanbe, jointly organized by the Tajik government and the United Nations, President Rahmon was joined by Prime Minister of Pakistan Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and other world leaders in highlighting the mounting crisis posed by glacial melt due to climate change.
“Glacier preservation is not just a regional issue for countries with glaciers—it is a global crisis that demands immediate attention,” President Rahmon stated. He proposed enhanced international collaboration, including regular scientific monitoring and research to assess the impacts of glacier melting on ecosystems, water supplies, and regional socio-economic stability.
He urged technologically advanced nations to share satellite-based glacier data with countries lacking such capabilities. The President also stressed the importance of taking collective action to tackle the socio-economic fallout of glacial melt—affecting water access, food security, electricity production, and the protection of cultural and natural heritage.
Highlighting the urgency, he said, “We must do everything in our power to ensure the implementation of the Paris Agreement and halt the global temperature rise.”
President Rahmon noted that Tajikistan, with 93% of its territory covered by mountains, is especially vulnerable to glacier-related natural disasters such as floods, landslides, and mudslides. He disclosed that out of 14,000 glaciers in Tajikistan—providing 60% of the region’s drinking water—1,300 have already melted.
The President emphasized that the loss of glaciers endangers both the natural heritage and the lives of millions of people across Central Asia. He cited the Vanjyakh (Fedchenko) Glacier as a vital subject of study, capable of revealing thousands of years of Earth’s climate history due to its vast ice reserves.
He praised the conference as a milestone toward implementing the UN resolution designating 2025 as the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation, and he called for the development of a global strategy for glacier protection.
Tajikistan, he said, will actively pursue this initiative at the United Nations and invites all countries to support it for the future of the planet.
