Water-saving irrigation technologies are currently used on about 2,500 hectares of land in Tajikistan, or just 0.35% of the country’s irrigated area. The government aims to expand this to 100,000 hectares by 2040, but reaching that target will require significant investment and wider adoption by farmers.
According to Tajikistan’s National Water Strategy through 2040, the area using water-saving technologies is expected to reach 10,000 hectares by 2030, 50,000 hectares by 2035 and 100,000 hectares by 2040.
Agriculture is the country’s largest water consumer, accounting for about 85% of water withdrawn from natural sources. Water withdrawal averages 8,000–13,000 cubic meters per hectare of irrigated land, while losses in irrigation systems reach 40–50%.
Yarash Pulatov, chief research fellow at the Institute of Water Problems, Hydropower and Ecology of Tajikistan’s National Academy of Sciences, told the Khovar news agency that improving water-use efficiency requires modern irrigation methods.
These include drip, sprinkler and subsurface irrigation. According to Pulatov, such technologies can save up to 50% of water, while maintaining an optimal irrigation regime and introducing modern methods can reduce water consumption by up to 30%.
What do state programs provide for?
The National Water Strategy identifies water-saving technologies as a key way to improve the efficiency of water use. Its proposed measures include preferential financing, lower interest rates on loans, subsidies and compensation to encourage farmers to adopt modern systems.
Drip irrigation also features in the State Program for the Innovative Development of Cotton Growing for 2026–2030. The program envisages expanding cotton cultivation under film using drip irrigation to 100,000 hectares.
Meanwhile, the Program for the Development of Horticulture, Viticulture and Citrus Growing for 2025–2029 provides for establishing new orchards and vineyards and restoring existing areas using modern agricultural technologies.
How much water and how much yield can be saved?
Research by Pulatov and his colleagues found significant differences in crop yields and water consumption under drip and conventional furrow irrigation.
For cotton, yields reached 55.4 centners per hectare under drip irrigation, compared with 34.9 centners under furrow irrigation. Water savings amounted to 51%.
For maize, yields increased from 68.2 to 104.8 centners per hectare, with water savings of 55.4%. For vegetables, yields rose from 380 to 540 centners per hectare, while water savings reached 31%.
According to the researchers, drip irrigation for cotton can generate additional net profit of about $533 per hectare, increase yields by 1.8–2 times, reduce water consumption by up to 51% and cut labor costs by 2–2.2 times.
How much does drip irrigation cost?
The cost of introducing water-saving technologies is estimated at $5,000–10,000 per hectare when rigid pipes are used and up to $5,000 per hectare with flexible pipes. The estimated payback period is three to six years, depending on the crop and system configuration, according to research by the Institute of Water Problems, Hydropower and Ecology.
An assessment by the Eurasian Development Bank and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) estimates that Tajikistan will need about 5,500 drip irrigation kits and 6,000 sprinkler systems by 2040.
The investment required for irrigation equipment is estimated at $20 million for 2026–2030 and $300 million for 2031–2040. A standard drip irrigation module serving a plot of up to 10 hectares is estimated to cost $20,000–25,000.
Where are the systems already being used?
Water-saving irrigation systems are already operating at individual farms and agricultural enterprises across Tajikistan.
One major project is at Juntai Khatlon Sin Silu, an enterprise in the Dousti district of Khatlon province, where cotton is grown using modern irrigation methods, including drip irrigation.
In September 2026, President Emomali Rahmon visited an intensive orchard operated by the Payvandi Rasht farm. Covering 10 hectares, the orchard is fully equipped with a drip irrigation system and grows 18 varieties of fruit trees. Its harvest exceeded 100 tons.
In the Asht district, an entrepreneur established the Boghi Ibrat intensive orchard on 13.41 hectares. The orchard has a drip irrigation system supplied by a reservoir with a capacity of 600 cubic meters.
These examples demonstrate that the technology is already being used in Tajikistan. However, with water-saving systems covering only around 2,500 hectares nationwide, expanding their use from individual projects to a much larger share of irrigated farmland remains a major challenge.