Tajikistan’s water resources mainly arise owing to glacier melting and precipitation. Total freshwater reserves in Tajikistan’s glaciers and snowfields are estimated at 550 cub. km. Many of them are located in the basins of Obihingou, Gunt, and Muksu rivers as well as in other high-mountain areas. Glaciers and snowfields occupy about 6% of country’s territory. Over 1,300 lakes contain 44 cub.km of water, including 20 cub.km of freshwater and 24 cub.km of saltwater. Their total area is 705 sq. km.

Peculiarity of mountain territory and plenty of water supply sources promoted the development of rich river network, numbering 947 rivers with length more than 10 km and with total length 28,500 km, which have glacier-snow and rain feeding. Surface runoff varies from place to place and in some areas exceeds 45 l/sec/sq.km. The maximum water discharge is observed in June-August when snow and glacier melting is most intensive.

There are 9 water reservoirs containing from 0.028 to 10.5 cub.km of water. The largest reservoirs are Kairakkum on the north of Tajikistan, and Nurek in the central part of Tajikistan. They are mainly used for electric power generation, irrigation, fish breeding, water supply, and mudflow protection. More than 95% of gross electricity in Tajikistan is generated owing to hydroelectric power plants. However, use of hydropower potential does not exceed 10%. Principal water reservoirs and hydroelectric power plants are situated in the Vakhsh River basin. Two new stations such as Rogun and Sangtuda will be constructed to produce clean electric power. Reservoirs greatly influence the river flow. For example, in natural conditions (till 1965) water discharge in Vakhsh river near the Nurek dam varied between 100 to 5,000 cub.m/sec, and currently it has essentially changed and makes from 300 to 2,000 cub.m/sec.

Significant amount of suspended solids in Tajikistan’s rivers results in the loss of water reservoir’s functionality, and as consequence reduces the potential of electric power generation.

Water consumption for irrigation caused significant changes of the hydrological conditions in some river basins. For example before irrigation, maximum water discharge in Yavansu River did not exceed 2-3 cub. m/sec (April), whereas after irrigation, maximum discharge has increased to 20 cub. m/sec (August). Besides, the processes of coastal erosion and gully formation have been essentially enlarged.

Groundwater used in national economy is mainly located in quaternary alluvium of the large river valleys (Syrdarya, Kafirnigan, Vakhsh, Kyzylsu, Yakhsu) and intermountain depressions. According to resent surveys, potential reserves of groundwater make 17 cub. km/year. Exploited reserves are estimated at 2-3 cub. km/year. On average, households, drinking water supply, industrial processes, and irrigation of lands consume 6,500 thousand cub. m of water per day. Fresh groundwaters are spread within earth horizons 1 to 100 meters.

There is a wide range of medicinal, thermal and mineral water sources and springs in Tajikistan totaling 200 sources. Sulfate, ferrous, iodine, bromine, radon and siliceous water compositions can be found here. The springs in Taboshar, Adrasman, Yavroz, Anzob, Obigarm, Khoja-Obigarm, Karatag, Shambari, Babatag are most popular. Great diversity of springs can be found in the Pamirs: Garm-Chashma, Bahmir, Elis, etc. In the south there are brines with high salinity 400 g/l.

Quality of surface and ground waters in Tajikistan is high and only in some regions it experiences little deterioration. Mountain areas of Tajikistan are distinguished with very high water quality and peculiar taste.

Varzob River, which is one of the main sources of water supply for Dushanbe city, is polluted by wastewater discharges from villages, rest homes and camping areas located above. Actually, water purifying facilities and places for waste storing are found nowhere. All these are the factors of water pollution. Takob factory, Dushanbe cement plant with out-of-date water purifying systems, heat power plant and other numerous water pollution sources are located in this area.

Kafirnigan River is the main source of drinking water supply and at the same time it is subject to the essential pollution coming from irrigational wastewater, insufficiently purified wastewater discharges, street drainage discharges. It results in increased bacteriological contamination risk. Kafirnigan River is most vulnerable to anthropogenic pressure in Tajikistan.

Vakhsh River is polluted by industrial waters from Vakhsh nitric-fertilizer plant, Yavan chemical plant, communal wastewater discharges and irrigational wastewaters from large cotton fields of southern Tajikistan. The state of plankton in lower reaches of Vakhsh River and chemical tests confirm the high quality of water with some local spoiled sites. Maximum concentration of pollutants in this river is observed in April-August, when irrigation is intensive and it results in washing of residual fertilizers and pesticides away.

Suspended solids are basic pollutants of Kyzylsu, Yakhsu and Tairsu rivers. Natural water mineralization in these rivers is 200-1,500 mg/l.

Syrdarya River is heavily polluted by irrigational wastewaters, and is not suitable for drinking. For the last 30 years water mineralization here has increased by 2-3 times (in 1970 was 0.6-0.8 g/l, in 2000 was 1.4-1.6 g/l). Basic pollutants are nitrogen and sulfur components, which concentrations exceed permissible norms 2-7 times.

Zeravshan River is subject to the pollution from industry and settlements, including BOD, antimony and mercury. On the one hand, it is caused by wastewater discharges from settlements, on the other hand the pipeline of Anzob ore-processing plant (Yagnob) is damaged and therefore promotes toxic pollution.

Nitrates, sulfates, and residual pesticides coming from cotton fields of southern Tajikistan pollute Pyanj River.

Groundwater horizons in northern regions of Tajikistan have high mineralization (nitrates 12-90 mg/l). Groundwater in Shakhristan, Faizabad, Khojamaston and Muminabad regions is distinguished with its high quality.

Approximately 25-30% of drinking water in taps has poor quality in epidemiological respect. It was one of the reasons of typhoid disease outbreak in 1997-98, when morbidity exceeded 500 people per 100,000 inhabitants.

Many rural and some urban settlements have no wastewater purification facilities and therefore faecal polluted water discharges directly get into the watercourses. It results in an increased rate of diarrhea and hepatitis diseases in the countryside.

Communal wastewaters are treated at purification facilities with biological cleaning technology, however they do not operate efficiently. The problem of communal wastewater cleaning has much become aggravated recently, especially after a series of intestinal diseases, which are waterborne.

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Last update 03/03/2003
V. Novikov, N. Safarov