The Republic of Tajikistan, commonly known as Tajikistan, is a mountainous country located in Central Asia bordering Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and China. It has an area of 143,100 km2 and a population of approximately 10 million people.
The country became an independent sovereign nation on 9 September 1991 when the Soviet Union disintegrated. A period of instability followed, and tension between supporter of the government and the opposition intensified to the point where faction took up weapons. Shortly after independence, the country sunk into a civil war between factions and clans, lasting from 1992 to 1997.
During this period, the Central Region was heavily contaminated by landmines and Explosive Remnants of War (ERW). At the same time, Russian forces laid landmines on the Tajik-Afghan border to protect the border and border posts from armed groups trying to get into the country from Afghanistan. Starting 1999, Uzbekistan forces laid mines along the border with Tajikistan to protect armed groups from entering the country from Tajikistan.
At the end of 2023, the country still has an estimated 11.9 km2 of anti-personnel (AP) mine contamination. Tajikistan National Mine Action Center (TNMAC) database indicates that there are still 170 hazardous areas, 127 of which are known to contain AP mines, with 21 suspected and 22 areas known to contain other ERW. Tajikistan still lacks a clear baseline estimate of its mined areas. In addition, almost three-quarters of Tajikistan’s suspected hazardous areas (82 areas totalling 3.25 km2) are on the border with Uzbekistan, parts of which are still to be demarcated and to be surveyed for contamination.
Landmine contamination restricts the possibility to use land for agricultural purposes and represents a serious risk to civil populations engaged in farming, wood gathering, and other rural activities.
Norwegian People's Aid in Tajikistan
The Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) Programme in Tajikistan was established in 2010 to support the Government of Tajikistan and TNMAC in conducting land release activities, including non-technical survey (NTS), technical survey (TS) and clearance. The aim is to support Tajikistan in fulfilling its obligation in accordance with Article 5 of the Anti-personnel Mine Ban Convention with a current deadline of 31 December 2025.
During the past 13 years, NPA has maintained a manual clearance capacity in the country with the flexibility to respond to the priorities and needs of local communities and the Government of Tajikistan. NPA has also been contributing to strengthening the national survey and clearance capacity by employing the Border Guard Forces (BGF) as seconded deminers who rotate annually.
In 2023, NPA released 691,343 m2 through land release activities including non-technical survey, technical survey, and clearance (mine and battle area clearance). This number includes 5,424 m2 cancelled, 257,477 m2 reduced, and 428,442 m2 cleared land. The teams found 522 AP mines, 375 CMR and 5 other UXO. In 2023, EOD spot tasks included findings of 6 AP mines, 107 CMR and 6 UXO.
In 2024, NPA’s multitask teams will be working on clearance of 11 minefields along the Tajik-Afghan Border in Khatlon region and one Battle Area in Badakhshon region.
Fast facts
- Only 7 % of land in Tajikistan is usable for agriculture due to its mountainous terrain - the fact that almost 12 million m2 of Tajikistan’s land remain suspected of contamination is therefore detrimental to subsistence and economic development.
- NPA has the first and only female demining capacity in Tajikistan and in the Central Asian Region. They have been successfully conducting land release activities since 2014.
- Tajikistan has some of the world’s highest (3,700 m) and least accessible minefields in the world.
- As of December 2023, the NPA Tajikistan programme has released a total of 11,321,329 m2, completed and handed over 155 previously contaminated areas, and found and destroyed 26,249 landmines; 583 cluster munitions, and 3,430 ERW.
- NPA is working in cooperation with the Tajikistan National Mine Action Center, the Border Guard Forces of Tajikistan and with the Ministry of Defense of Tajikistan in order to build national capacity in Tajikistan.
