• Energy Research

Agricultural water use in Tajikistan is largely based on mechanized irrigation pumps. The farming community cannot afford the cost of the energy used for pumping, resulting in large debts to the service provider. We propose limiting pumping facilities for five years in exchange for energy export to neighbouring countries. The energy export could cover the annual pumping expenditures, pay off agricultural debt and partly rehabilitate the irrigation network. We suggest three scenarios with different pumping energy reductions, and the relevant technical parameters of the set-aside scheme are assessed.

Abstract This study analyzes the socio-economic impact of electrification with special attention to gender dynamics using evidence from the Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan. We employ survey data and stakeholder interviews to evaluate changes in education, health and economic opportunities. We find that women in grid-supplied communities are on average 27% more literate and complete more years of schooling compared to women in off-grid communities. Households in grid-supplied communities report a lower incidence of diseases, lower child mortality, improved access to ante-natal care, and higher vaccination rates, but they also endure a higher incidence of respiratory diseases due to cooking indoors. We show that switching from off-grid to grid-supplied electricity would allow households to power either 4,200 hours of LED light, 1,340 hours of TV, or 55 hours of hotplate usage at no additional cost. Access to grid-supplied electricity also enables economic opportunities which is reflected in the average higher income by a factor of 5.9 compared to households using solar panels. Moreover, households with grid-electricity save time on the collection of biomass fuel, e.g. for households using firewood, the daily time saving potential amounts to 5 hours. Consequently, men spend on average more time with their children and are more likely to provide help with household tasks that are typically in the female domain in grid-supplied households. Nonetheless, we find that access to grid electricity has mixed effects on education, health and economic outcomes, especially with regards to gender dynamics. Therefore, we challenge the assumption of a linear relationship between electrification and associated impacts, and stress that structural, institutional and power dynamics exert greater influence on education, health and economic outcomes than access to electricity alone.

This paper provides a comprehensive yet concise overview of the potential, deployment, outlook, and barriers to renewable energy including small-scale hydropower, solar, wind, geothermal and bioenergy for the five Central Asian countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Small-scale hydropower potential estimates range from 275 MW to 30,000 MW, solar PV from 195,000 MW to 3,760,000 MW, wind from 1500 MW to 354,000 MW, geothermal from 2 MW to 54,000 MW, and bioenergy from 200 MW to 800 MW. However, deployment is minuscule: 5–225 MW in small-scale hydropower across five countries, whereas only Kazakhstan deployed large-scale solar PV (>800 MW) and wind (>300 MW). Though there are strategies and programs to increase deployment, with Kazakhstan in the lead, other countries lag behind in their efforts. A number of barriers hinder the development of renewable energy in the region, including issues with regulatory framework, infrastructure, finances, expertise, awareness and support, and data and information. Because these obstacles are interrelated, a cross-sector and integrated approach is necessary to overcome them. Renewable energy can help Central Asian countries satisfy a growing energy demand and avoid the negative environmental impacts of using fossil fuels.

Central Asia faces substantial water scarcity due to increasing water demand driven by rapid urbanization, population growth, economic development, and inefficiency of irrigated agriculture. These developments are compounded by the effects of climate change, such as rising temperatures, loss of glacier mass and increased frequency of extreme events, including droughts. The region's escalating water scarcity is causing disputes and straining rural livelihoods. Moreover, these challenges drive migration, creating considerable societal impacts. However, these issues remain underexplored in climate change research, making the region a global blind spot in climate adaptation and migration studies. We advocate for innovative research pathways that scrutinize smallholder adaptation strategies, examine the nexus between climate change, water scarcity, and mobility, and investigate tensions and cooperation over water resources. We conclude by emphasizing that substantial investments in inter- and transdisciplinary collaboration, improved data availability and quality, and strengthening of research and institutional capacities are essential to advance interdisciplinary climate impact research in Central Asia. Such efforts are vital for addressing existing knowledge gaps and enhancing evidence-based policymaking to improve the region’s position in current and future debates on climate change and sustainable development.

Abstract We applied the multidimensional energy poverty index (MEPI) to Tajikistan, using the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) datasets to assess energy poverty at the national and sub-national levels, along the urban-rural gradient, and over time. The results showed very low energy poverty levels across the board. However, using the Khalon region survey, and applying the original index, we found substantially higher energy poverty levels. Whereas the MEPI results from DHS datasets were 0.15 for 2012 and 0.04 for 2017 for rural areas of Khatlon, the MEPI result from Khatlon dataset was 0.53. This is higher by about 253% against 2012 and a whopping 1225% against 2017 estimates. Modifying the indicators and weights and applying this modified index to the Khatlon dataset showed a higher result (0.54), but still in the moderate energy poverty category. Furthermore, we conducted assessment at the sub-regional level and by access to grid electricity in both the original and modified indices based on the Khatlon dataset, and found differences ranging from 0.47 to 0.80, i.e. moderate to acute energy poverty. Therefore, low results found using the DHS dataset likely underestimate the actual state of energy poverty in Tajikistan, whereas the Khatlon dataset showed substantially higher energy poverty levels that are closer to reality. These results offer valuable insights for policymakers and practitioners to investigate the actual state of energy poverty and explore measures to address this issue. We propose eight recommendations for future research into energy poverty measurement, focusing on study design and choice of indicators.