Emomali Rahmon: Around 4B people face acute water shortages yearly

President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon stated that approximately 4 billion people worldwide face at least a one-month period of acute water scarcity annually, Report informs.

He made the statement at the Fourth International High-Level Conference dedicated to the International Decade for Action "Water for Sustainable Development" 2018–2028.

Rahmon emphasized that billions of people today lack access to safe drinking water and sanitation services. According to him, by 2050, global demand for drinking water could increase by at least 25%.

He also stated that population growth will require a 50% increase in food production. At the same time, nearly half of the world's urban population could face water shortages.

Emomali Rahmon devoted special attention to the country's national plans. Tajikistan has adopted a National Water Strategy through 2040 and a State Program for Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation for 2025–2029. By 2030, the country intends to fully implement integrated water resource management at the national and district levels. By 2040, Tajikistan plans to provide access to a centralized water supply for at least 90% of the population.

In addition, the country intends to scale up the adoption of water-saving technologies by more than 40 times. Another goal is to bring the level of digitalization in water resource management to 80% by 2040.

Emomali Rahmon also proposed the creation of a "Dushanbe Framework Program on Water Issues." It is intended to serve as a foundation for coordinating international efforts and advancing the global water agenda beyond 2030. He also advocated for improving the structure of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea and establishing an Interstate Energy Commission of Central Asia within its framework.

In concluding his speech, Rahmon announced the establishment of the International Prize of the President of the Republic of Tajikistan in the field of water resources.