# **Improvement of Water Management and Infrastructure**

35. Adaptation to climate change will inevitably involve using water more efficiently. Current water tariffs for drinking and irrigation purposes are set at a very low level and do not cover the costs of water provision and system rehabilitation. Furthermore, collection rates are also very low: 25% of people connected to plumbing in rural areas do not pay for water (most claim the service is free); of those who pay, only 10% have a water meter (both in urban and rural areas).<sup>18</sup> Lack of funding has resulted in deterioration of drinking water supply system and inability of the government to provide access to safe drinking water to half of the country’s rural population. Similarly, low tariffs, lack of individual meters and inadequate knowledge of farmers of the water requirements of different crops result in overconsumption of water for irrigation; dilapidation of the irrigation infrastructure (current efficiency is estimated at 55%) as well as in planting of crops that will be economically unviable under realistic water prices. Such policies increase Tajikistan’s vulnerability to climate change as they leave the country unprepared for the increased scarcity of water.

36. The government should support diversification of crops towards the ones that use less water, promote water saving irrigation technologies and create incentives for efficient water use (e.g. through introduction of individual meters and improving collection rates for water provision). It will also be important to implement institutional reforms to ensure that the irrigation system, built to serve large, state-owned collective farms, is capable of meeting the needs of small-holders. Decentralized water management arrangements have been promoted by several donors through support to establishment and development of water user associations (WUAs). To date, these institutions have been quite effective at improving access to water and strengthening communitylevel governance. Supportive national regulatory environment will be instrumental to allow for further development of these organizations.

37. The majority of survey respondents have identified electricity as the single most important priority for government spending on climate change adaptation. Indeed, stable power supply prevents deforestation and is essential for development of non-farm economic activities. Similarly, investments in roads and bridges will be necessary to connect remote rural communities to local and regional markets, facilitate trade and enable farmers to access distant pastures thus preventing overgrazing.

# **Disaster Management**

38. Climate change is expected to increase the frequency and severity of natural disasters, particularly mudflows, floods and droughts, posing additional risks to livelihoods, and infrastructure. However, vulnerability to natural hazards depends not only on the severity of weather events but also on availability of protective infrastructure and institutional capacity to prevent and respond to disasters. Disaster prevention rather than a mere response to their occurrence should become a priority for government and donor support and funding. A number of donor-supported projects have been very successful in preventing disasters and minimizing the impact of their occurrence by working with communities to identify local disaster risks, supporting small scale infrastructure improvements (e.g. construction of flood protection walls), developing evacuation maps, constructing shelters, and training of volunteers for the search and rescue brigades. While significant investments are necessary to scale these initiatives to all vulnerable areas, the international experience shows that disaster risk

> 18 TLSS (Tajikistan Living Standards Survey). 2007. The World Bank, UNICEF and Tajikistan State Statistics Committee. Dushanbe

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