Source Agencies

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: The Central Asian nation of Tajikistan is set to host a critical international gathering on the conservation of water at a time of increased climate change and global uncertainty.

Water security is set to become one of the defining global challenges of the coming decades as climate change intensifies pressure on already strained resources, the Ambassador of the Republic of Tajikistan to Malaysia, Ardasher Qodiri in a briefing ahead of 4th High-Level International Conference on the International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable Development,” 2018–2028 scheduled to take place from May 25 to 28 in Dushanbe.

“The water issue is, in fact, a very hot topic nowadays, and I can tell you that in the coming decades it will become even more critical,” he said. “Year after year, climate change is accelerating this process.”

He warned that growing water scarcity could heighten geopolitical tensions, as nations increasingly face a stark choice between cooperation and conflict over shared resources: “Countries are increasingly finding themselves in a situation where they either have to cooperate with each other or risk moving into direct conflict,” Qodiri noted.

He pointed to developments in the Middle East as examples of how water shortages can exacerbate regional instability and how competition for water resources often underlies broader political disputes, he said. 

“Behind many of these tensions, there is actually a conflict over water resources,” he added, warning that such pressures are likely to intensify over the next two decades.

Climate change, he said, is transforming water scarcity from an environmental issue into a multidimensional security challenge, particularly in relation to food production.

“What is happening nowadays with climate change will, in fact, turn into a security problem, especially a food security problem,” Qodiri said. “And food security, in turn, depends directly on water resources.”

“Without water, we cannot survive,” he said. “You can survive without oil, you can survive without natural gas, you can survive without minerals — but you cannot survive without water.”

The 4th High-Level International Conference on the International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable Development,” will be held in partnership with the United Nations and a broad coalition of international stakeholders.

The conference, convened within the framework of the Dushanbe Water Process, is expected to serve as a major global platform for dialogue and cooperation on water-related challenges at a time when climate change, population growth and economic development are placing unprecedented pressure on freshwater resources worldwide.

Officials said the four-day gathering will focus on accelerating implementation of the Water Action Decade, an initiative launched to advance sustainable water management and universal access to safe water and sanitation. The meeting will also contribute substantively to the global water agenda during what experts describe as a critical period for achieving international development targets.

Tajikistan, a mountainous country endowed with abundant water resources and often referred to as the “water tower” of Central Asia, has played a leading role in promoting water issues at the international level. As the initiator of the Water Action Decade and a co-host of the UN 2023 Water Conference, the country has positioned itself as a key advocate for multilateral cooperation on water governance.

According to organizers, the 2026 conference will serve as a crucial preparatory milestone for the UN 2026 Water Conference, to be co-hosted by Senegal and the United Arab Emirates. The event aims to build on outcomes achieved at the 2023 gathering while translating commitments into practical guidance and momentum for future action.

“The conference is designed to bridge past achievements and future ambitions,” officials noted, emphasizing that it will connect the outcomes of the 2023 conference with preparations for both the 2026 meeting and the final review of the Water Action Decade in 2028.

A central feature of the conference will be its emphasis on concrete implementation. Participants are expected to showcase scalable solutions, strengthen international cooperation and forge new partnerships to address pressing water challenges, including water scarcity, pollution, ecosystem degradation and the impacts of climate change.

The conference will also provide an early platform for shaping the agenda of the UN 2028 Water Conference, which will be hosted in Dushanbe and will mark the concluding review of the decade-long initiative. In addition, discussions will begin on the role of water in the post-2030 global development framework, as the world prepares for the next phase of sustainable development efforts beyond the current targets.