Family Farming Knowledge Platform

A tale of two towns in Tajikistan

The difference irrigation can make

In the arid south-western borderlands of Tajikistan stand the ruined mud walls of Kuhdomani bolo. The village was once lush and green, but when the irrigation systems failed, the fields and pastures dried up. Unable to earn from their land, one by one the villagers left. Today, Kuhdomani bolo is abandoned.

Yet just beyond the lifeless fields lies another village, one whose history has taken a very different turn. This is the village of Kuhdoman, and it’s as green and lush as Kuhdomani bolo is brown and barren.

As IFAD’s photographer takes out a camera, Ahmet Bekmatov gestures around him. “Take pictures of everything that is green, because all of it has grown thanks to the supplied water,” he says.

Looking around at his plot, it is hard to believe that only a couple of years ago, this land lay barren. Today, the wheat grows tall and the melon vines are rich with fruit. More importantly, the 0.3 hectares of cultivated land yields enough to support Ahmet, his wife and their four children.

In both Kuhdoman and Kuhdomani bolo, the pipelines and canals set up during Soviet rule used to provide a much-needed water source for this arid region. But, in recent decades, lack of financial resources, as well as fierce conflict, meant that the water supply system was no longer maintained. The soil turned to dust and the fruit trees withered.

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Author: IFAD
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Organization: IFAD
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Year: 2022
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Country/ies: Tajikistan
Geographical coverage: Europe and Central Asia
Type: Blog article
Content language: English
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