In Tajikistan, irrigation water is the bottleneck of crop production. And with water scarcity on the rise due to climate change-induced weather extremes, the situation is getting even worse, particularly in rural areas.

At this time of year, with the long dry periods and high temperatures of spring and summer to come, rural communities in parts of Tajikistan are facing increased fragility, water shortages, and intensification of land degradation and desertification.

There are solutions, however. Drip irrigation, for example, offers hope for drought-prone areas.