Strengthening Institutional Capacity for National implementation of the Stockholm and Basel International Conventions and Building Capacity for Accessing the Rotterdam and Minamata Conventions in Tajikistan
Taking steps towards better chemicals and waste management in Tajikistan
The Challenge
Adequate waste management coupled with inadequate regulation were identified by the government of Tajikistan as key environmental challenges to be addressed. In this Central Asian country of some 9 million inhabitants, UNESCAP estimated in 2020 that the total volume of solid waste generated in Tajikistan’s cities was forecasted to almost triple by 2050, increasing from 2.0 million tons per year in 2016 to 5.6 million tons per year by mid-century.
The Project
In 2019, the government of Tajikistan partnered with UNEP to strengthen institutional arrangements needed to protect human health and the environment from dangerous chemicals and waste. The project, implemented between 2020 and 2022, took steps to improve coordinated implementation of the Basel and the Stockholm Conventions and to promote the ratification of the Rotterdam and the Minamata conventions, as a starting point in addressing these significant challenges.
The Impact
In February 2025, Tajikistan ratified the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade. Preparations for ratification of the Minamata Convention were also undertaken under the project. Coordination and cooperation at the national level were improved through the establishment of an inter-ministerial chemicals management committee (ICMC). Gaps in the implementation of the Basel and Stockholm Conventions, to which the country was already a party, were identified and addressed through preparation of legal instruments and comprehensive training of relevant staff across a range of government ministries and departments.
Independent Assessment
Independent Assessment of the Closed Project under the Special Programme Report (December 2024): Tajikistan
Project Story
2019 - Tajikistan: taking strides in chemicals and waste management
PROJECT INFORMATION
Project title: Strengthening capacities for national implementation and ratification of the chemicals and waste Conventions in Tajikistan
Duration: January 2020 – September 2022
Budget: 233,904 USD
Partnerships and counterparts: UNEP Europe office working with Health and Environment Justice Support (HEJ Support) and Foundation to Support Civil Initiatives (FSCI)
