On March 22, the Founder of Peace and National Unity – Leader of the Nation, President of the Republic of Tajikistan, Honorable Emomali Rahmon, on the sidelines of the United Nations Water Conference in New York, United States of America, took part in the side event “Transforming Global Economic Institutions for the Common Good: A Wake Up Call from the Global Commission on the Economics of Water”, organized by the co-chair of the Conference – the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The participants emphasized the timeliness of this event, since, on the one hand, it is associated with a difficult situation with water resources and the need to intensify our actions to protect them, on the other hand, with the need to change attitudes, respect and honor this invaluable resource.
It was pointed out that water also plays a significant role in the economic development of countries. The Republic of Tajikistan is a clear example of such claims, because due to the abundance of water resources and hydroelectric power, we use water as the main source of electricity production.
Economic sectors closely related to water, including agricultural irrigation, hydropower, industry, tourism and other areas, create tens of thousands of jobs and contribute to the employment of the population of countries.
It is worth noting that 98% of electricity in Tajikistan is produced from renewable resources, and thus our country makes an appropriate contribution to the “green” development of the region.
Along with favorable factors, it should be noted that natural disasters associated with water have adverse effects on the socio-economic development of the country. Experts estimate that more than 70 percent of emergencies and more than 80 percent of economic losses are related to such disasters.
In some years, the damage from such natural disasters reaches 8-9 percent of the gross domestic product. This situation is typical not only for Tajikistan, but also for many countries of the world, especially developing ones.
It was also about such an urgent issue as the politicization of water. With this in mind, the important point is the drafting of policies, formulation of strategies and development programs.
The wish was expressed that the outcome of the current conference on water would contribute to a deeper understanding of the value of water and its effective management. Participants pointed to the importance of focusing on this aspect of the water complex.