Tazeen Akhtar from Dushanbe, Tajikistan
Tajikistan sensitized the international community on the worth following theme of ” Protect Every Drop – Protect Every Glacier ” at the First High level International Conference on Preservation of Glaciers held in the picturesque capital city of Dushanbe on 29-31 May 2025 to highlight the urgency of halting glacial retreat and to raise it to the top of the global climate agenda.
Heads of governments, representatives of concerned United Nations bodies including the collaborators , UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) Asian Development Bank and World Meteorological Organization (WMO)The “International High-Level Conference on Glacier Preservation” concluded to emphasize the inextricable link between glacier conservation and sustainable socio-economic development.
The number and level of the Conference participants, more than 2,600 participants from 90 countries, once again demonstrated the importance of the Dushanbe Platform for discussing issues related to glacier melting and their impact on water resources, as well as exchanging best practices and innovative solutions, strengthening partnerships between stakeholders, enhancing the role of glaciers in sustainable development, raising awareness and mobilizing political will to accelerate progress in achieving the relevant goals of the 2030 Agenda.
According to World Meteorological Organization, in 2023 alone, glaciers worldwide lost over 600 gigatons of water—marking the highest rate of glacial loss in the past 50 years. In Tajikistan, approximately 1,300 glaciers have already disappeared, exacerbating environmental challenges, reducing water resources, and weakening regional resilience.
A report from World Food Programme shares that Tajikistan is estimated to have nearly 14,000 glaciers. However, over the past few decades, more than 1,000 of these glaciers have disappeared due to melting, according to Tajikistan’s president and reports from the .
The conference culminated in the release of the Dushanbe Glaciers Declaration—a landmark document outlining actionable commitments, collaborative initiatives, and strategic recommendations to be presented at the UN Climate Change conference, COP30 in Brazil. It is one of the highlights of activities for the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation.
Prime Minister of the Republic of Tajikistan, H.E Kohir Rasulzoda, shared the details of the discussions at the conclusion of the conference in a well attended press conference at the media center. Professor Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General World Meteorological Organization (WMO) was also present and she appreciated the resolve and intiatives of the National Leader and President Emomali Rahmon for water and glaciers preservation.
Important outcomes of the Conference are the adoption of the Dushanbe Declaration and the Dushanbe Appeal: Call for Action, which call on UN Member States and stakeholders to take the necessary measures to strengthen international cooperation to advance and align the global agenda for the conservation of the cryosphere and glaciers.
Prime Minister said that the “International High-Level Conference on Glaciers Preservation, organized by the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan, in partnership with relevant United Nations agencies with the assistance of a number of international partners, has ended.
During these three days, from May 29 to 31, 2025, here in Dushanbe, “we witnessed a constructive dialogue, exchange of best practices and scientific knowledge aimed at resolving one of the most pressing environmental problems of the time – the rapid melting of glaciers” he said.
The Dushanbe Platform provided an opportunity to advance integrated approaches and partnerships in the field of glacier melting, he said.
“We reaffirmed that glaciers play a key role in maintaining global ecological balance, socio-economic growth and addressing water resource issues and also discussed how glacier conservation is essential to ensure livelihoods, access to water, minimizing associated risks, and achieving long-term development goals in vulnerable regions.”
Tajik Prime Minister said that it should be noted that the structure of the Conference Program included two plenary sessions, 12 thematic sessions, 2 high-level round tables, as well as pre-conference events, including 8 high-level forums and 17 parallel events.
In addition, the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan organized the Glacier Festival to raise awareness of the importance of the glacier melting problem and the value of water resources as a vital resource, its careful treatment and preservation for future generations.
