2008年-世界发展银行全球_Tajikistan___Country_Environmental_Analysis_146页_9mb

Tajikistan Country Environmental Analysis Summary

Core Content

Tajikistan is a small, landlocked, mountainous country in Central Asia with an economy heavily reliant on cotton, aluminum, and hydroelectricity exports, as well as remittances from migrant workers. Despite impressive macroeconomic growth since the end of the civil war, the country remains one of the poorest in the former Soviet Union, with a GDP per capita of $390 in 2007. Approximately 75% of the population resides in rural areas, and the economy is vulnerable to environmental degradation and natural disasters due to its reliance on natural resources.

Environmental challenges include land degradation, water and sanitation issues, waste pollution, deforestation, and natural disasters such as floods and droughts. These problems significantly impact public health and economic development, with environmental damage costs estimated at around 4.8% of GDP, primarily affecting the poor. Future challenges may arise from climate change, which could exacerbate existing environmental issues.

Main Objectives

The Tajikistan Country Environmental Analysis (CEA) aims to:

• Deepen understanding of the economic costs of major environmental challenges
• Assess institutional capacity for sound environmental management
• Help strengthen institutions and governance to enhance environmental outcomes

Key Environmental Challenges

1. Land Degradation

• Primary cause: irrigation-related land degradation (secondary salinity, water-logging, soil erosion)
• Secondary causes: deforestation, overgrazing, and natural disasters
• Annual cost: ~270 million TJS
• Affects agricultural productivity, biodiversity, and increases natural hazard risks

2. Natural Disasters

• Major contributors: mudflows, boulders sliding, floods, landslides, and avalanches
• Annual cost: ~115 million TJS
• 85% of the country is at risk of mudflows, with 32% in high-risk zones

3. Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH)

• Only 93% of urban and 61% of rural populations have access to improved drinking water
• Annual cost: ~110 million TJS
• Health impacts include mortality and morbidity from diarrheal diseases, Hepatitis A, Typhoid, and Paratyphoid

4. Indoor Air Pollution

• Main cause: use of traditional fuels
• Annual cost: ~74 million TJS
• 93% of the cost is borne by rural populations, with acute respiratory illness in children accounting for 40% of the cost

5. Urban Air Pollution

• Main source: transportation-related particulate matter (PM)
• Annual cost: ~32 million TJS
• 88% of the cost is attributed to mortality, 12% to morbidity

6. Lead Poisoning

• Annual cost: ~15 million TJS
• Estimated to affect children under 5 in urban areas with populations over 100,000

7. Industrial Waste and Pollution

• Major sources: mining, chemical, and cotton production
• Includes uranium tailings, building refuse, and municipal waste
• Requires modern methods for assessment, documentation, and monitoring

8. Deforestation

• Annual cost: ~24 million TJS
• Forest cover is only 3% of the total area, leading to high marginal costs
• Non-use values (existence and option values) are significant

9. Tajikistan Aluminum Plant (TaAZ)

• Accounts for ~68.75% of all stationary source emissions (21,899 tons in 2001)
• Responsible for notable fluoride water pollution in the Tursunzade region

Environmental Management Framework

• Environmental management is governed by a broad institutional framework, including the Department of Nature Use and Protection (under the Ministry of Agriculture and Nature Protection), the State Control Service on Nature Use and Environmental Protection (SCSNREP), and various local and provincial agencies.
• Environmental policies and laws exist, but implementation is weak due to:
  • Inadequate legislation and guidelines
  • Weak institutional design
  • Lack of vertical and horizontal coordination
  • Insufficient funding and capacity
  • Limited economic incentives for pollution reduction

Policy and Institutional Gaps

• Accountability and enforcement mechanisms are weak
• Monitoring capacity is limited due to lack of reliable data and resources
• Economic incentives for pollution reduction and efficient resource use are insufficient
• Environmental planning lacks alignment with priorities and resource allocation
• Public participation mechanisms are underdeveloped, especially for vulnerable groups

Recommendations

• Develop a robust mechanism for setting priorities based on:
  • Cost of environmental degradation
  • Distributive impact of environmental costs
  • Population perceptions, especially of vulnerable groups
  • Efficiency and effectiveness of environmental policies
• Strengthen institutional coordination and capacity building
• Improve monitoring and data collection systems
• Enhance economic incentives for pollution reduction
• Invest in modern waste management and environmental education
• Address climate change through improved data and scenario analysis

Environmental Costs as % of GDP

• Total environmental damage cost: 9.5% of GDP in 2006
• Land degradation: 3.7% of GDP
• Natural disasters: 1.6% of GDP
• Inadequate water supply, sanitation, and hygiene: 1.5% of GDP
• Indoor air pollution: 1.0% of GDP
• Rangeland degradation: 0.7% of GDP
• Urban air pollution: 0.5% of GDP
• Lead poisoning: 0.2% of GDP
• Deforestation: 0.2% of GDP

Conclusion

Environmental degradation and natural disasters are significant constraints to Tajikistan's sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction. While the government has made efforts to address these issues, the lack of institutional capacity, coordination, and economic incentives hampers effective implementation. Strengthening governance, improving data collection, and enhancing public participation are critical steps to mitigate environmental challenges and promote long-term sustainability.