About Tajikistan

Arts & Culture

Tajikistan culture has been long known as a melting pot of cultures. The Oxus, Alexander the Great, Mongol and Russian empires all left their mark on the country. As nation gained its independence, this unique cultural identity only defined itself further. The Tajikistan people celebrate their culture in the form of art.

When it comes to music, Tajikistan tends to play folk music with roots in central Asia. Known as “Shashmagam” and “Falak”, visitors will be sure to hear this unique musical style when visiting the country. More modern art, such as cinematography, shows a strong Russian European influence which comes from Tajikistan’s days as a member of the former Soviet Union. The popularity of opera and ballet in the country also demonstrate a deep level such influence on Tajikistan culture living along with ancient traditions that helped to generate a modern as well as historically rich nation.

Travel & Leisure

Tourists travel to Tajikistan to participate in ecotourism and outdoor sports. The mountainous terrain attracts hikers and climbers from around the globe. Tajikistan’s rich cultural heritage, hospitality and abundance of mountain snow peaks, rivers, lakes and recreational opportunities contribute to the development of country’s tourism industry. Skiers and snowboarders get their fair share of fun on the country’s slopes as well. Tourists arrive in Tajikistan via Dushanbe International Airport. Tajikistan can be accessed from airports located in Europe, Middle East and Asia.

As Tajikistan continues to a see a rise in the number of tourists that visit the country each year, infrastructure in the country will continue to prove. The nation already has plans to make the beauty of Tajikistan more accessible to thrill seekers. In 2018, Tajik Government announced a year of tourism development. The tourism sector is considered a priority for the development of the Tajik economyAccording to the World Travel and Tourism Council, the direct contribution of Travel and Tourism to GDP was $215.6 million, 3.2% of total GDP in 2017 and forecasted to rise by 0.5% in 2018 and to rise by 3.9% from 2018-2028 to $316.5 or 2.5 per cent of total GDP in 2028. The total contribution of Travel and Tourism to GDP was $561.5 million or 8.3 per cent of GDP in 2017 and forecasted to rise by 1.9 per cent in 2018 and to rise by 4.4% to 883.1 million or 6.9 per cent to GDP in 2028. In 2017 Travel and Tourism directly supported 71,000 jobs and indirectly almost 200 thousand jobs. Travel and Tourism investment in 2017 was $83.1 million. It is expected to rise by 8.9 per cent in 2018 and to rise by 6.2 per cent over the next ten years to $165.7 million in 2028.Tajikistan is not yet considered a major tourist destination. In 2017 Tajikistan has climbed 12 places to rank 107th among 136 nations in the global Travel and Tourism (T&T) competitiveness index.

Business, trade & Investment

Tajikistan does a significant amount of business exporting products like cotton and aluminum. Rich deposits of gold and silver within the country have attracted significant interest from investors. At the present time, economic policies enacted by the Tajikistan government favor these foreign companies and their activity within Tajikistan.

The energy industry seems to be trending upward as well. Hydroelectric power in particular appears promising. In the coming years, hydroelectric power is becoming the trendy new investment by foreign corporations.

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Tajikistan’ Energy Sectors – Hydro Power potential of the Republic of Tajikistan

The Republic of Tajikistan (Tajikistan) is in Central Asia, has mountainous, land-locked territory and bordered by Afghanistan to the south, the Kyrgyz Republic (Kyrgyzstan) to the north, Uzbekistan to the west and China to the east. The country is approximately 143 000 km2 in size with estimated population of 9.32 million (2019),

Tajikistan has a significant reserve of various natural energy resources: coal, oil, natural gas, river effluent energy, solar radiation, thermal waters and wind. About 22% of the total potential coal reserves in Central Asia are concentrated in Tajikistan. A special place in the composition of natural energy resources belongs to hydropower, which accounts for 80% of all the country’s energy resources.

Tajikistan’s mountains over 3000m high covers 93% of its area, with the Pamir and Alay Mountains dominating the landscape of the Tajikistan. Simultaneously, these mountain ranges contain enormous natural water reserves; consequently Tajikistan has significant hydropower potential, and could encounter substantial demand growth once that hydro potential is developed. The natural wealth of Tajikistan is rivers and lakes, which are system glaciers. As the most water-rich country in Central Asia, Tajikistan’s territory has over 947 rivers, amounting to over 60% of water resources of the Central Asian region.

Based on current data, Tajikistan with the reference to the total potential reserves of hydropower resources, ranks eighth in the world after China, Russia, the USA, Brazil, Zaire, India and Canada. As for specific metrics, it occupies the second place in terms of hydropower potential per capita (87.8 thousand kWh / year / person), and in relation to the potential hydropower reserves per square kilometer (3682.7 thousand kW) hours per year / km2) first place in the world, far ahead of other countries. As of January 1, 2018, the total installed capacity of power plants in the Republic of Tajikistan (including power heating plants) is more than 5,757 MW.

Despite the enormous hydropower potential, Tajikistan uses only 4% of it. As Tajikistan is apportioned with abundant water resources, hydropower is the main source of energy in the country. Tajikistan depends on almost entirely on hydropower for its electricity production – 97% of the generated electricity comes from existing hydropower plants (HPP).The hydropower potential of Tajikistan is estimated at 527 billion kWh per year, which is three times higher than the current level of electricity consumption by the countries of Central Asia.

The Government of Tajikistan declared energy independence as the highest political and economic priority for the country. Tajikistan’s total domestic electrical generation capacity is 6577 MW, including 5858 MW of hydroelectric capacity, and nearly 719 MW from a coal-fired combined heat plants.

Tajikistan is home to one of the largest hydropower plants (HPPs) in the Former Soviet Union, the Nurek HPP. More than 5 000 megawatts (MW) of Tajikistan’s total 5 700 MW of installed electricity generation capacity relies on hydro (www.barqitojik.tj).

The Rogun Hydropower Plant is being constructed on the upper reaches of the Vakhsh River in the Pamir mountain ranges. The Tajikistan government spends on average up to $200 million from the annual state budget to finance the largest in the country hydro energy project – the Rogun hydro power station. The Rogun 3,600MW power plant will have an output capacity of 13.1bn kWh, accounting for half of the Tajikistan’s electrical installed capacity. It will become the world’s tallest dam, breaking the record of the 300m-high Nurek dam once completed; the plant will have 6 turbines of 600 MW each with a total installed capacity of 3,600 MW (the equivalent of three nuclear power plants).

The country’s other fuel sources are imported oil and gas for residential and industrial use, and coal, which is modest but growing. Tajikistan’s full energy resource potential has been relatively unexplored, but coal, oil and gas deposits are estimated to be moderate.

Likewise to hydro power sector development, Tajikistan is actively developing its coal heating power capacity with the assistance from international partners. Also Tajikistan continues to pioneer the CASA-1000 project in the region. CASA-1000 is a transmission project designed to transmit 1300 MW of surplus electricity from existing hydro power resources in the Central Asian countries, Tajikistan, Kyrgyz republics en-route Afghanistan to Pakistan.Successful execution of CASA-1000 project will enable Tajikistan to become the biggest energy exporter in Central Asia. The available volume of electricity exports from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan under this project, which is scheduled to commence in 2021, is about 5.5 billion kWh. Additionally, the project is expected to create a new platform to promote trade between the countries of Central Asia and South Asia by putting in place commercial and institutional arrangements and transmission infrastructure required.

Renewable Energy

Tajikistan possesses a significant renewable energy resource potential. The largest is hydropower, as mentioned, which is the most cost-efficient, and is estimated at three and a half times the current electricity consumption of Central Asia. Solar, wind, biomass and geothermal energy can provide for almost 10% of the energy needs of the country. Currently, Tajikistan uses less than 4% of its technical and economical hydropower potential and less than 1% of the potential of other types of renewable energy.

The Government’s hydropower development program to 2020 envisages the commissioning of 400 small hydropower plants. .About 10% of the country’s population live in remote mountainous off-grid areas (in valleys with small rivers and streams), where off-grid renewable energy solutions make economic sense. In addition to hydro power, Tajikistan has high potential for developing solar energy and also, to some extent, wind energy. Tajikistan has the highest horizontal solar irradiance in Central Asia, with over 300 sunny days per year, its annual duration of sunshine fluctuates from 2 000 to 3 000 hours.

Tajikistan’ Coal Mining Industry

Besides hydropower resources Tajikistan has substantial coal with estimated reserves of 4.3 billion tons and Tajikistan is actively developing its coal heating power capacity. According to the latest geological data, there are over 36 deposits and occurrences of coal in Tajikistan (out of which 320.3 million tons are industrial reserves of coal of high calorific value.) There are all sorts of this solid fossil fuel: from lignite to hard coal, including coking coal and anthracite. According to the Ministry of Industry and New Technologies, coal reserves are sufficient not only to satisfy the needs of fuel and energy complex for decades, but also to create a chemical industry.

Out of over 36 deposits and occurrences of coal known at the territory of Tajikistan, only two have been studied in detail: Shurab and Fan-Yagnob. These two are the main share of the coal reserves of the country falls on the coal deposit In Fan-Yagnob coal deposit, the calorific value of coal is 7936-8463 kcal / kg and in the Shurab – coal has the calorific value of 4000 kcal / kg. Except of the Fan-Yagnob all other deposits of the republic belong to the group of small ones (up to 50 million tons).Coal production in Tajikistan has increased substantially since 2007, with approximately 19 enterprises operating 14 coal deposits. Up to 2020, the Tajikistan government plans to increase coal production capacities to not only meet internal requests, but also to establish an export potential base.

Natural gas

Tajikistan has proven gas reserves of 5.7 billion m3, but the extractive industry is not well developed (domestic production of natural gas is less than 5% of total annual supply.