Water Institutional Reforms in Tajikistan - The Politics of Water Institutional Reform in Neopatrimonial States - page 136

State Land Committee
The State Land Committee is in charge of the organization of the land reform, i.e. the privati
zation of the state and collective farms ( sovkhozes and kolkhozes ). It is directly subordinated to
the government. As the FSKs were also in charge of the infrastructure, the Land Committee
must organize its transfer, including the transfer of irrigation infrastructure and canals. Accord
ing to the Law on Land Reform, all of the on farm channels that turn into off farm channels
due to the split up of the FSK should be transferred to the jurisdiction of the MinVodKhoz .
Therefore, cooperation between the two agencies is necessary. 211
Ministry of Energetics
The Ministry of Energetics was established in 2000 upon the recommendation of the ADB.
The objective was to improve the stability of the energy sector and to secure the energy supply.
Its main task is to safeguard energy security and develop the hydropower industry. This mainly
becomes apparent in the investments in new dam projects like the Rogun and Sangtuda dams,
which affect the availability of water resources. Due to the rising importance of hydro energy,
its significance may increase. 212
Academic Institutes
Besides the NIIGIM a research institute directly associated with the MinVodKhoz academic
capacities on the research of water resources are low. In 2001, the Tajik government decided to
establish the Institute of Water Problems, Hydro Power, and Ecology (IWP) at the National
Academy of Sciences with an academic staff of currently 33 persons. It addresses the issues of
soil erosion, salinization, rising groundwater levels, water quality, and transboundary manage
ment problems. In 2004, a new department for water management and transboundary rivers
was established. The institute is primarily financed by the state, but additional means are ac
quired through international projects. It cooperates with the MinVodKhoz , the Environmental
Ministry, MKVK, MFSA, and also with universities and academic institutions from abroad in
scientific projects. 213 Although the Institute is involved in many international projects and
cooperates with all national agencies, it has so far seen little scientific appreciation of its work
by other water experts in Tajikistan.
The Agrarian University in Dushanbe has a faculty of hydro melioration, which was es
tablished in 1951. Most Tajik water cadres who received their training during Soviet times
studied there. At some other universities there are also individual scholars and institutes that
deal with water issues, but all lack capacities to conduct substantial research or to ensure up to
date teaching by qualified teaching staff. The financial means for excursions, field research, and
other such things are lacking as well. 214
International Donor Organizations
Various donor organizations are also involved in water governance. Foreign investments cover
virtually all of the large rehabilitation and renovation works that have been conducted since
independence and hence are also able to impose conditions for those. It is not possible to
describe all of the rehabilitation activities in the water sector; thus, this section will focus on
donors' involvement in institutional reforms. Here donors are especially active in the transfer
211 Author's interview with a senior official of the State Land Committee, Dushanbe, 11/01/2005.
212 Author's interview with a senior official at the Ministry of Energetics, Dushanbe, 08/24/2004.
213 Author's interview with the director of the IWP, Dushanbe, 10/15/2003.
214 University instructors earn about 20 somoni (less than 5 euro) per month. Therefore, they often have additional
jobs. Author's interview with two university professors, Dushanbe, 09/08/2004.