Tajikistan discusses early warning system for tailing dump failures
Tajikistan is considering the development of a monitoring and early warning system for accidents at industrial waste storage facilities. The initiative was discussed at the fifth meeting of the Interagency Working Group on Industrial Waste Safety and the Prevention of Accidental Water Pollution, held in Dushanbe.
Representatives of government agencies, industrial enterprises, research institutions and international organizations discussed the use of digital risk maps, accident prevention measures and Tajikistan’s international obligations.
Experts from the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) presented findings on how climate change affects the safety of tailings facilities.
Participants also reviewed progress made in 2025–2026 and discussed a draft action plan for the next period.
Why are tailings facilities dangerous?Tailings facilities are structures used to store waste generated during mineral processing. They can contain heavy metals, hazardous chemicals and radioactive materials.
If their protective structures fail, contaminants can enter the soil, groundwater and rivers, potentially affecting neighboring countries.
According to a UNECE and ESCAP report prepared following a workshop in Bishkek in May 2025, climate change is increasing these risks. Heavy rainfall, floods, landslides and melting glaciers can damage dams and other protective structures.
Many tailings facilities in Central Asia were built decades ago and were not designed to withstand today’s climate-related hazards.
How many hazardous facilities are there in Tajikistan?
A UNECE study identified 61 tailings facilities and more than 130 other potentially hazardous industrial sites in the Syr Darya River basin.
Of the 61 tailings facilities, 30 are located in Kyrgyzstan, 12 in Uzbekistan, 10 in Tajikistan and nine in Kazakhstan. At least 33 could pose a transboundary threat in the event of an accident.
Tajikistan’s major uranium legacy sites include former industrial facilities in Istiqlol (formerly Taboshar), Degmay and Adrasman in Sughd province.
The country’s uranium tailings rehabilitation program for 2025–2030 identifies potential water contamination risks associated with the former Taboshar mines and the Degmay tailings facility.
Representatives of government agencies, industrial enterprises, research institutions and international organizations discussed the use of digital risk maps, accident prevention measures and Tajikistan’s international obligations.
Experts from the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) presented findings on how climate change affects the safety of tailings facilities.
Participants also reviewed progress made in 2025–2026 and discussed a draft action plan for the next period.
Why are tailings facilities dangerous?Tailings facilities are structures used to store waste generated during mineral processing. They can contain heavy metals, hazardous chemicals and radioactive materials.
If their protective structures fail, contaminants can enter the soil, groundwater and rivers, potentially affecting neighboring countries.
According to a UNECE and ESCAP report prepared following a workshop in Bishkek in May 2025, climate change is increasing these risks. Heavy rainfall, floods, landslides and melting glaciers can damage dams and other protective structures.
Many tailings facilities in Central Asia were built decades ago and were not designed to withstand today’s climate-related hazards.
How many hazardous facilities are there in Tajikistan?
A UNECE study identified 61 tailings facilities and more than 130 other potentially hazardous industrial sites in the Syr Darya River basin.
Of the 61 tailings facilities, 30 are located in Kyrgyzstan, 12 in Uzbekistan, 10 in Tajikistan and nine in Kazakhstan. At least 33 could pose a transboundary threat in the event of an accident.
Tajikistan’s major uranium legacy sites include former industrial facilities in Istiqlol (formerly Taboshar), Degmay and Adrasman in Sughd province.
The country’s uranium tailings rehabilitation program for 2025–2030 identifies potential water contamination risks associated with the former Taboshar mines and the Degmay tailings facility.
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