Uzbekistan – Tajikistan in Focus

Resources: Curb vast water use in central Asia : Nature News & Comment

Shipwrecks rusting in the desert have come to symbolize the environmental havoc that has befallen the Aral Sea, which straddles Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. More than 90% of what was once the fourth-largest lake in the world has vanished in half a century^1, 2, 3. The cracked shores are symptoms of the dramatic overuse of water in central Asia. Since the 1960s, 70% of Turkmenistan has become desert, and half of Uzbekistan’s soil has become salty owing to dust blown from the dry bed of the Aral Sea¹.

The republics of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan were developed as farming states to supply produce to the former Soviet Union¹. Today, they are among the highest per capita users of water in the world — on average, each Turkmen consumes 4 times more water than a US citizen, and 13 times more than a Chinese one⁴(see ‘Top 20 consumers’). More than 90% of the region’s water use is irrigating thirsty crops including cotton and wheat^1, 2.

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Like most other parts of the former Soviet Union, central Asian states suffer authoritarian rule and political fragility. Soaring unemployment is leading to a mass emigration of educated people. Current figures estimate that up to one-third of working-age Tajiks are employed abroad. Ethnic, political and religious diversity and difficulties with boundary demarcation fuel nationalism. Internal hostilities, as in the Caucasus, Moldova and eastern Ukraine, are a threat. A full-scale regional conflict, regardless of the rise of radical religious groups, is not out of the question.

Uzbekistan Seeks to Reinvigorate Diplomatic Clout In Region – Analysis – Eurasia Review

Since the fall of 2014, Tashkent has been boosting diplomatic engagement with its neighbors. In particular, Uzbekistan’s President Islam Karimov met with President Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan in Dushanbe on September 11 (press-service.uz September 13, 2014), and visited Turkmenistan on October 23–24 (press-service.uz October 25), and Kazakhstan on November 24–25 (press-service.uz November 26). Two critical issues have pushed Uzbekistan to reinvigorate its diplomatic efforts in its immediate neighborhood—the future of water and energy use in Central Asia, as well as the forthcoming pull-out of Western military forces from Afghanistan.

In July 2014, to Uzbekistan’s utter indignation, the World Bank’s Fifth and Final Riparian Meetings on Rogun Assessment Studies, held in Almaty, technically gave a green light to the construction of the Rogun Hydro Power Project in Tajikistan (worldbank.org, July 18). Appealing also on behalf of other downstream Central Asian countries like Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan found the World Bank study’s conclusions “unsatisfactory and insufficient to form a qualified opinion” and categorically affirmed that “Uzbekistan will never under any circumstances provide support for this project” (mfa.uz, August 1). Tashkent’s discontent was mainly twofold—construction work at the Rogun site was never halted, even as Tajikistan waited for the feasibility study’s conclusion, and the World Bank allegedly did not take into consideration Uzbekistan’s concerns over the project’s environmental implications or considered building a series of smaller hydro-power stations instead.

Interestingly, Tajikistan is the only case in which Uzbekistan seeks outside backing via multilateral and international engagement. Tashkent prefers to deal with all other countries and address issues of global politics on a bilateral basis. But the current tangle of contradictions regarding Central Asia’s water and energy resources has arisen due to the gradual dissolution of the Central Asian Power Grid System, from which the downstream states of Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan withdrew (the first in 2003, and the latter two in 2009) due to the upstream Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan both syphoning off electricity without due payment. This Grid System is still Central Asia’s most important energy and water dispatcher network, which links the entire region, and it functioned in central Tashkent throughout the Soviet period (Russiancouncil.ru, April 2, 2012). Consequently, not only has the transit of Turkmenistani electricity to Tajikistan and the shipment of Kyrgyzstani electricity to Kazakhstan been paralyzed, but the supply of electricity to Uzbekistan’s southern provinces has also partly malfunctioned due to the Grid System’s fragmentation.

Issues of water use and the energy deadlock are particularly acute between Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan—even though bilateral Treaties of Friendship, Good-Neighborhood and Cooperation, and Eternal Friendship have been in force for decades among these three neighbors. Nonetheless, diverse national interests regarding the use of upstream hydro-power stations for energy by Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, as opposed to downstream Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan’s use of the water for irrigation leads to serious regional conflicts. And this situation is further exacerbated by the downstream agrarian communities’ rampant inefficient water use (Nature.com, October 1).

Uzbekistan Seeks to Reinvigorate Diplomatic Clout In Region – Analysis – Eurasia Review.

Advancing Legal Protection for Women in Tajikistan | IREX – Civil Society, Education and Media Development

Mufara Hamidova provides legal assistance to women in Tajikistan on issues ranging from domestic violence to early marriage. As a manager at the League of Women Lawyers of Tajikistan, she addresses domestic issues through litigation and mediation and also uses media and trainings to inform community groups about the legal status of young girls getting married and the legal and psychological consequences of early marriage. For more on early marriage in Tajikistan, click here.

As a 2011 LEAD fellow, she is studying at the University of Missouri-Kansas City this year and is accompanied by her husband and three-year-old son. Recently Mufara answered IREX’s questions about her legal work assisting women in Tajikistan and how she juggles a demanding legal career, family responsibilities, and coursework for a graduate degree in the US.

Continue reading Advancing Legal Protection for Women in Tajikistan | IREX – Civil Society, Education and Media Development

Revitalizing Shashmaqâm: Court Music of Central Asia – YouTube

For more information and Music of Central Asia, visit:
http://www.folkways.si.edu/centralasia

Watch a 5 minute excerpt from the 27-minute documentary film included in the CD/DVD
Music of Central Asia Vol. 2: Invisible Face of the Beloved: Classical Music of the Tajiks and Uzbeks

Amid the mosques and minarets of Samarkand and Bukhara, generations of vocalists set the mystical, Sufi-inspired verse of Hafiz and other classical poets to lyrical melodies, creating a spiritual art music of great refinement and sublime beauty called Shashmaqâm, confirming its important place among the great art music traditions of Eurasia. A bonus DVD documents the musical tradition of the Shashmaqâm in Bukhara, Uzbekistan. 18 tracks. 70 minutes. 44-page booklet, photos, and bilingual lyrics; DVD contains series introduction, 24-minute film, interactive glossary, and map. Music of Central Asia is a co-production of the Aga Khan Music Initiative in Central Asia, a program of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, and the Smithsonian Institution Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. The aim of the series is to present leading exponents of Central Asia‘s rich and diverse musical heritage to listeners outside the region.

via Revitalizing Shashmaqâm: Court Music of Central Asia – YouTube.

Ethnologue report for Tajikistan

Languages of Tajikistan

See language map.

[See also SIL publications on the languages of Tajikistan.]

Tajikistan. 7,011,556. National or official language: Tajiki. Literacy rate: 99%. Immigrant languages: Aimaq, Armenian (6,000), Bashkort (5,410), Belarusan, Dungan, Georgian (810), Hazaragi, Kazakh (9,610), Korean (13,000), Lak (860), Lithuanian (470), Osetin (8,000), Romanian (580), Russian (237,000), Standard German, Tatar (80,000), Turkish, Turkmen (14,000), Ukrainian (41,000), Uyghur (3,580), Western Balochi (4,840). Information mainly from S. Akiner 1983; B. Comrie 1987; A. Kibrik 1991; T. Sebeok 1963. The number of individual languages listed for Tajikistan is 12. Of those, all are living languages.

Arabic, Tajiki Spoken

[abh] 1,000 in Tajikistan. Population total all countries: 6,000. Khatlon Province, Vakhsh Valley villages; Kuliab and Leninabad cities. Mainly small villages. Also in Afghanistan, Uzbekistan. Alternate names: Arabic, Bukhara Arabic, Buxara Arabic, Central Asian, Jugari, Tajiji Arabic. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic

Farsi, Western

[pes] 50,000 in Tajikistan (Johnstone and Mandryk 2001). Alternate names: Persian. Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Iranian, Western, Southwestern, Persian

Kyrgyz

[kir] 64,000 in Tajikistan. Classification: Altaic, Turkic, Western, Aralo-Caspian

Parya

[paq] 3,000 in Tajikistan (2008). Population total all countries: 4,250. Hissar Valley. Also in Afghanistan, Uzbekistan. Alternate names: Afghana-Yi Nasfurush, Afghana-Yi Siyarui, Laghmani, Pbharya. Dialects: May be Marwari [rwr] dialect, related to Panjabi[pan], or Laghman dialect of Southeast Pashayi [psi] of Afghanistan. Subgroups: Kalu, Jitain, Juni, Maggar, Bisiyan, Mussali, Shuiya. Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Central zone, Unclassified

Pashto, Southern

[pbt] 4,000 in Tajikistan (1970). Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Iranian, Eastern, Southeastern, Pashto

Sanglechi-Ishkashimi

[sgl] 500 in Tajikistan. Ethnic population: 1,000 in Tajikistan (1990 A. Kibrik). Dialects: Ishkashimi (Ishkashim, Eshkashmi), Zebak (Zebaki), Sanglich. Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Iranian, Eastern, Southeastern, Pamir

Shughni

[sgh] 40,000 in Tajikistan (1975 SIL). 20,000 Shugan, 1,500 to 2,000 Oroshor, 15,000 Rushan. Population total all countries: 60,000. Ethnic population: 73,000 (1990 A. Kibrik) including 50,000 Shugni, 2,000 Oroshor, 18,000 Rushan, 800 Khufi, 3,000 Bartang. Gorno-Bagakhshan, Pamir Mountains. Also in Afghanistan. Alternate names: Shugnan-Rushan. Dialects: Rushani (Rushan, Roshani, Oroshani), Bartangi (Bartang), Oroshor (Roshorvi), Khufi (Khuf, Chuf), Shughni (Shugan, Shugnan, Shighni, Khugni). Khufi and Bartangi dialects may be separate languages. Oroshani may be separate from Rushani. Not intelligible with Sarikoli [srh] (called ‘Tajiki’ in China). Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Iranian, Eastern, Southeastern, Pamir, Shugni-Yazgulami

Tajiki

[tgk] 3,340,000 in Tajikistan (1991). Population total all countries: 4,457,500. Also in Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russian Federation (Asia), Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan. Alternate names: Galcha, Tadzhik, Tajiki Persian. Dialects: 4 groups of small dialects; no distinct boundaries. Dialect blending into Dari Persian [prs] in Afghanistan. Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Iranian, Western, Southwestern, Persian

Uzbek, Northern

[uzn] 873,000 in Tajikistan. Classification: Altaic, Turkic, Eastern

Wakhi

[wbl] 7,000 in Tajikistan (1993 UBS). Ethnic population: 20,000 in Tajikistan (1990 A. Kibrik). Gorno-Badakhshan, Pamir Mountains. Alternate names: Guhjali, Khik, Vakhan, Wakhani, Wakhigi. Dialects: Western Wakhi, Central Wakhi, Eastern Wakhi. Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Iranian, Eastern, Southeastern, Pamir

Yagnobi

[yai] 12,000. Zafarabad; north of Dushanbe; Yagnob River, (the homeland) high mountain valley. Alternate names: Yaghnabi, Yaghnobi, Yaghnubi, Yagnabi, Yagnob, Yagnubi. Dialects: Western Yagnobi, Eastern Yagnobi. Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Iranian, Eastern, Northeastern

Yazgulyam

[yah] 4,000 (1994 UBS). Ethnic population: 5,710. Along Yazgulyam River, Gorno-Badakhshan Ao. Alternate names: Iazgulem, Yazgulam, Yazgulyami. Dialects: Upper Yazgulyam, Lower Yazgulyam. Little dialect difference. Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Iranian, Eastern, Southeastern, Pamir, Shugni-Yazgulami

Lewis, M. Paul (ed.), 2009. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Sixteenth edition. Dallas, Tex.: SIL International. Online version: http://www.ethnologue.com/.

via Ethnologue report for Tajikistan.

Uzbekistan rejects Tajikistan’s accusations | Tajikistan News-NA «Asia-Plus»

DUSHANBE, April 5, 2012, Asia-Plus — Uzbekistan’s government has rejected accusations from neighboring Tajikistan that Tashkent has imposed an economic blockade on Tajikistan in order to strengthen Uzbek advantages over its smaller and more impoverished Central Asian neighbor.

On April 2, the Tajik Embassy in Moscow accused Uzbekistan of trying “to make Dushanbe adopt decisions that are profitable for Tashkent” by cutting badly needed electricity and natural gas supplies and shutting down road and railway connections between the two countries.

Tajik officials have warned that a prolonged cutoff of energy and other links could lead to a humanitarian disaster in Tajikistan, where electricity is already rationed because of shortages.

Responding in a statement on April 4, Uzbek Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyaev did not deny that Tashkent had suspended energy and transport links to Tajikistan, but said technical reasons were responsible.

via Uzbekistan rejects Tajikistan’s accusations | Tajikistan News-NA «Asia-Plus».

Uzbekistan blockading Tajikistan over dam – UzNews.net

Uzbekistan blockading Tajikistan over dam

The Uzbek authorities are trying to take over the Farkhad dam situated in Tajikistan and inflicting a gas and transport blockade on Tajikistan for refusing to give away the dam.

A sharp deterioration in relations between Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, which has lately turned into a public correspondence between the two countries’ prime ministers, has been incited by Tashkent’s desire to take over the Farkhad dam, a reliable source in the Tajik official circles has told Uznews.net.

Without any legal base, Uzbekistan is insisting on changing the state borderline between the countries so that the Farkhad dam is included into the Uzbek territory, the source added.

The Farkhad hydroelectric complex that has a small water reservoir was built in modern Tajikistan’s territory in 1947. It was designed to withdraw water from Syrdarya and to let water flow down to the steppes of Golodny (in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan) and Dalverzinsky (Uzbekistan and Tajikistan).

via Uzbekistan blockading Tajikistan over dam – UzNews.net.

CA-NEWS : Tajik diplomats say that Uzbekistan is trying to destabilize situation in Tajikistan

CA-NEWS (TJ) – Unilateral actions by the authorities of Uzbekistan support the assumption of permanent and undeclared economic blockade of Tajikistan aimed at destabilizing the socio-political situation in the country, said the Embassy of Tajikistan in Moscow.

“Preservation of the current situation will lead to further deterioration of the conditions for the population of Tajikistan, threatening a humanitarian catastrophe in the country,” said a statement posted on the official website of the Embassy.

The statement notes that, despite the efforts of Tajikistan “aimed at the development and strengthening of bilateral cooperation” and “solution of topical issues in international relations affecting the interests, hopes and aspirations of the brotherly peoples of both countries, the Uzbek government continues a policy of confrontation and the use of economic, transport and communication, and other levers of pressure to compel Tajik leadership to take decisions favorable to them.”

Uzbekistan is systematically implementing transport blockade of the southern and central regions of Tajikistan through “deliberate delay of wagons with necessary goods on the Uzbek railway station” since 2010.

“From November 17, 2011 to the present time the Uzbek side, referring to the destruction of the railway bridge on the stretch “Galaba-Amuzang” supposedly because of “terrorist act”, blocked the transit of trains with cargo destined for the needs of the population of the southern regions of Tajikistan, thereby, leaving the inhabitants of these areas without the consumer goods, petroleum products, including hospitals, schools and other social facilities in the height of the cold winter and the beginning of planting season. At the same time, despite numerous requests and suggestions of the Tajik side for assistance in restoring this section of road that connects Tajikistan with other CIS countries, Uzbekistan has not begun recovery efforts. Moreover, reliable data said that the Uzbek side started dismantling the railway line. It should be noted that previously the Uzbek side motivated the closure of this stretch of road by the erosion of the railway bridge, but dismantled railway sleepers and rails of this section of the road are moved to the territory of Uzbekistan via this road,” said the statement.

via CA-NEWS : Tajik diplomats say that Uzbekistan is trying to destabilize situation in Tajikistan.

Tajikistan seeks Turkmen gas as shortage looms | Reuters

Tajikistan seeks Turkmen gas as shortage looms | Reuters.

* Uzbekistan to stop gas supplies to neighbour from April

* Turkmen-Tajik deal subject to Uzbek transit accord

* Abrupt drop in supply to harm aluminium, cement plants

By Roman Kozhevnikov

DUSHANBE, March 28 (Reuters) – Tajikistan aims to secure natural gas supplies from Turkmenistan to avert a worsening fuel shortage as its traditional supplier prepares to stop pumping from next week, a high-ranking Tajik government representative told Reuters on Wednesday.

Uzbekistan, the sole supplier of natural gas to its Central Asian neighbour, had informed the Tajik government it would halt supplies from April 1 in order to meet growing demand from its main partner, China, the government representative said.

Speaking on condition of anonymity to avoid jeopardising current talks, he cited a letter from state company Uztransgaz to its equivalent gas transportation company in Tajikistan.

Mountainous Tajikistan, the poorest of 15 former Soviet republics, experiences frequent power blackouts. Only southern regions of the country and upmarket homes in the centre of the capital Dushanbe receive regular supplies of gas.

Jashan-e-Nouruz celebrated | The Nation

ISLAMABAD – Officials and families of Iran, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan embassies, donned in their traditional, national and cultural dresses, came together to celebrate Jashan-e-Nouruz — the day marks the first day of spring and the beginning of the year in Iranian calendar — jointly in National University of Modern Languages on Thursday.

The beautiful embroidered dresses, delicious traditional cookies, dry fruits, savourous foods, sweets, desserts and rhythmic music from Iran, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan were a treat among treats for the students and faculty members of NUML.

The “Nouroz Day” celebrations were inaugurated by Ambassador of Republic of Tajikistan Zubaydullo N. Zubaydov by cutting of ribbon of traditional food stalls. Iranian Embassy Charge De Affairs Mr Rawish, Iranian Cultral Counsellor Dr Sadiqi, Deputy Afghan Ambassador were also present on the occasion. The cultural troupe from Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan presented the soulful tunes and sung some beautiful Iranian cultural songs and mesmerized the audience thronged at IT Auditorium.

Speaking at the occasion, Ambassador Tajikistan Zubaydullo N. Zubaydov said “It was pleasant to see that a joint effort was made to celebrate the “Nouroz Day” to share the cultural and traditional understanding with their Pakistani brothers and sisters. Such cultural exchanges not only help people from different countries get closer to each other but also help them to understand the global cultural environment”, he added. Speaking at the occasion, Rector NUML Maj Gen (Retd) Masood Hasan said, “NUML is a place where 26 international languages are taught and the university always appreciates the arrangement of such events that help our students to understand the culture, norms, traditions and society of a particular language they are learning here”.

Head of Russian Department said “today’s programme is dedicated to the New Day, i.e. the first day of the spring which is rejoicing of life and its harmony with nature. Each country has its own customs and ceremonies but one theme is common in all i.e. the joy, which is expressed through dance and songs and of course through food”.

Embassies of Iran, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Afghanistan also held different stalls where they exhibit the traditional dresses, decoration pieces, photographs and national foods to present that how Nouroz Day is celebrated in their respective countries. Besides this documentaries of each country were also shown in IT Auditorium.

via Jashan-e-Nouruz celebrated | The Nation.