UNDP and Adaptation Fund Strengthen Climate Preparedness in the Kafernighan River Basin

For earlier and more reliable weather information, giving communities more time to protect their crops, livestock and livelihoods and prepare for climate-related risks.

August 19, 2026

Photo: Two men cut a red ribbon at an outdoor ribbon-cutting ceremony, while onlookers watch. — UNDP Representative Sudipto Mukerjee and Hydromet Director Qurbonzoda Abdullo Habibullo cut the ribbon to officially launch the newly installed automatic weather station at Sardai-Miyona, strengthening real-time weather monitoring and early warning capacity in the Kafernighan River Basin.

Nigora Alimadzoda/ UNDP Tajikistan

UNDP Tajikistan handed over three weather stations to the Agency for Hydrometeorology (Hydromet) during a ceremony on 19 August 2026 at the Sardai-Miyona site. The ceremony was led by Sudipto Mukerjee, UNDP Representative, and Qurbonzoda Abdullo Habibullo, Director of Hydromet.

"Better data means earlier warnings. Earlier warnings mean safer lives. And safer lives mean stronger communities," said Mukerjee in his remarks. "But equipment alone is not enough — people must know how to use it. That is why Agency technicians have been trained to operate and maintain the system, helping ensure national ownership and making this investment sustainable."

Two men at an outdoor event; one speaks into a microphone, the other wears sunglasses. — Sudipto Mukerjee (right) delivers remarks during the handover ceremony, with Umed Vahobov, Environment, Climate and Energy Cluster Team Leader, standing on the left.

Nigora Alimadzoda/ UNDP Tajikistan

Director Qurbonzoda underscored the technical significance of the upgrade: the new stations and data system allow Hydromet staff to monitor conditions across the basin's most vulnerable locations in real time, without the delays of manual data collection.

The stations handed over today are part of a broader package of support to Hydromet, delivered in three concrete forms. First, three Automatic Weather Stations were installed in Shahritus, Vahdat and Rudaki, the basin's most climate-vulnerable areas, alongside a dedicated server for data storage and network management.

Photograph of a man in a blue suit outdoors, wearing glasses, with a fence and sign behind. — Qurbonzoda Abdullo Habibullo, Director of the Agency for Hydrometeorology, delivers remarks during the handover ceremony.

Nigora Alimadzoda/ UNDP Tajikistan

Hydromet technicians were trained in installation, operation, and maintenance of the new equipment to World Meteorological Organisation standards, including the use of AEGIS-specialized software for real-time data management, ensuring the agency can run the upgraded network independently.

The stations now deliver faster, more reliable readings on rainfall, temperature, wind, and other conditions, giving the Agency what it needs for earlier warnings and communities what they need for better decisions. Women, who make up a large share of the basin's small-scale farmers and pastoralists, are among the first to benefit, gaining more time to protect crops, livestock, and household resources when extreme weather threatens.

Second, 14 hydrological risk models were developed across 14 target watersheds of the Kafernigan River basin (KRB) using HEC-HMS software, covering flood, drought, and erosion risks. Hydromet hydrological specialists received dedicated training in operating these models and applying outputs to early warning and risk assessment. Real-time data from the weather stations feeds directly into the models, connecting field measurements to risk analysis in a single operational chain.

The newly installed automatic weather station at Sardai-Miyona provides real-time data on rainfall, temperature, wind and other weather conditions, strengthening early warning and climate preparedness in the Kafernighan River Basin.

Nigora Alimadzoda/ UNDP Tajikistan

Third, an SMS-based Weather Early Warning and Agricultural Advisory System was established to deliver this information to those who need it, providing location-specific alerts and practical advisories to farmers and pastoralists across six target districts: Varzob, Vahdat, Faizabad, Qubodiyon, Shahritus, and Nosiri Khusrav. These advisories reach women directly, who are often disproportionately affected when climate shocks reduce agricultural yields and pasture productivity. Putting reliable, timely climate information and advisory directly into their hands strengthens the resilience of women-led households and expands women's role as active decision-makers in managing the land and resources their communities depend on.

All systems, platforms, and operational guidance have been formally transferred to Hydromet. The Agency now holds the tools and the trained staff to sustain and expand these services independently, making this a lasting contribution to climate resilience for communities across the basin.

This support is delivered under the project "An Integrated Landscape Approach to Enhancing the Climate Resilience of Small-Scale Farmers and Pastoralists in Tajikistan," implemented jointly by the Committee for Environmental Protection and UNDP, and financed by the Adaptation Fund.

For inquiries: Nigora Alimadzoda, Communications Analyst, alimadzoda.nigora@undp.org