# **4. ADAPTATION PRIORITIES**

30. The impacts of climate change are already being felt in Tajikistan and will likely intensify in the future. This necessitates adaptation efforts, i.e. responses to reduce vulnerability to current climate conditions and adjust to potential climate changes. The purpose of this section is to identify priority areas and actions for adaptation. Based on the larger review of current policies and projects as well as the analysis of the survey results presented in the previous chapter, agriculture, improvement of water management and infrastructure, disaster management and public health emerge as key adaptation priorities. These priorities are also in conformance with the policy directions outlined in the latest Poverty Reduction Strategy of Tajikistan 2010-2012.

31. Effective adaptation will require review and reform of the current policies and regulations to create incentives for sustainable resource use and to improve the quality of public services. It will also be important to create conditions for development of non-farm employment opportunities to reduce Tajikistan’s dependence on climate sensitive sectors. The narrative below will provide a brief overview of the major directions of adaptation actions.

# **Agriculture**

32. A vast majority of the population in Tajikistan lives in rural areas and depends on the natural environment for their livelihoods. The decades of soviet rule left a legacy of overspecialization in cotton production and exploitation of water for irrigation without consideration of costs and environmental impacts of such policies. Following independence, the needs of the rural economy were largely neglected with little or no investment in equipment, new seed varieties, extension services and maintenance of irrigation and drainage systems. As a result, land degradation has emerged as a major environmental challenge.

33. Lack of incentives and resources available to farmers are among key constraints to adoption of sustainable agricultural practices. For instance, the inducement by local governments to plant cotton on up to 70% of cropped area reduces the ability of farmers to practice restorative crop rotations and diversify their incomes, while lack of access to credit prevents them from purchase of fertilizer and other essential agro inputs<sup>17</sup> . Current cotton policies distort the efficient allocation of land, labor and farm inputs and have a negative impact not only on the cotton subsector but also on total agricultural output. Reform of cotton policies and diversification towards crops that use less water should be among top priorities for agricultural sector development. It is also important to ensure secure land ownership to provide incentives to farmers to make investments in soil conservation, efficient water management and other sustainable practices.

34. The survey respondents have identified improvement of extension services and provision of seeds resilient to climate extremes as a major priority area for government spending on climate change adaptation. This is a field where the donor community can play a significant role by transferring knowledge and technologies. In fact, a number of donor-funded projects have already established Farmer Field Schools or other consultative services to improve farmers’ knowledge on modern agricultural practices. These initiatives have generally been very successful in promoting sustainable land management and helping improve yields. For instance, farmers that attended _Farmer Field Schools_ supported by UNDP Communities Program have managed to collect two-three crops per season. It is important to provide support for scaling up such initiatives as well as to develop mechanisms for their sustainability.

> 17 World Bank. 2006. _Priorities for Sustainable Growth: A Strategy for Agriculture Sector Development in Tajikistan_

17