Partnership with Little Earth
The populations of remote rural villages in Tajikistan, particularly in the Yaghnob Valley, remain vulnerable to energy poverty and geographic isolation. Although electricity access in Tajikistan is close to universal at the national level, several mountain communities in Yaghnob remain outside the central electricity grid. Poor transport and communication infrastructure, seasonal road access and limited basic services constrain livelihoods and development. Harsh mountain conditions and extreme weather can further isolate communities by disrupting the limited road connections to the valley.Limited access to reliable modern energy means that households continue to depend heavily on firewood, shrubs, coal and other locally available fuels for cooking and heating. Pressure on already scarce woody vegetation contributes to land and ecosystem degradation, while inefficient household energy use increases the burden on families. Climate change adds another layer of vulnerability: Tajikistan is highly exposed to floods, mudflows, landslides and other extreme weather events, while land degradation and changing climate conditions threaten rural livelihoods and fragile mountain ecosystems.
Women are disproportionately affected by energy poverty, as they carry much of the responsibility for household energy use and the daily management of natural resources. In remote mountain communities, limited access to clean and efficient energy can increase women’s workloads and restrict the time and opportunities available for other activities. At the same time, women continue to have limited influence over community and environmental decision-making despite their central role in household resource management. Strengthening women’s knowledge, leadership and participation is therefore closely linked to both environmental sustainability and community resilience.
The Yaghnob Valley is also located within the Yaghnob National Nature-Ethnographic Park, established in 2019 to protect the valley’s natural landscapes and distinctive cultural heritage. This makes cooperation between communities and the park administration particularly important for the sustainable management of local natural resources.
In 2026, the partnership expanded its work to the villages of Dehbaland, Kul and Garmayn, combining sustainable energy solutions with women’s leadership, environmental education and community participation in natural resource management.
The current phase of the initiative is funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) through Central Asia Solidarity Groups (CAG).
Long-term goal of cooperation
Remote mountain communities in Tajikistan improve their resilience and environmental sustainability through increased access to clean energy solutions, strengthened women’s leadership in natural resource management, and enhanced cooperation with the Yaghnob National Nature-Ethnographic Park.
Main achievements
- Expanded Little Earth’s work to Dehbaland, Kul and Garmayn, three remote communities in the Yaghnob Valley, strengthening direct engagement with women and households on sustainable energy and natural resource management.
- Strengthened women’s knowledge and leadership through training on gender equality, women’s leadership in rural development, sustainable energy and efficient household energy use, and natural resource management within protected areas.
- Created opportunities for 10 active women to learn from women’s organizations, development institutions and local initiatives in Ayni and Panjakent, strengthening peer networks, confidence and exposure to new approaches to community development.
- Improved access to clean and practical household energy solutions for 30 families through solar lighting systems and solar shower bags, helping reduce reliance on traditional fuels and pressure on local natural resources.
- Advanced understanding of household energy use through a cooking-stove assessment across Yaghnob communities, identifying existing practices and opportunities for safer and more fuel-efficient alternatives.
- Strengthened cooperation between local communities, Little Earth and the Yaghnob National Nature-Ethnographic Park, creating a stronger basis for community participation in conservation and sustainable natural resource management.
- Re-established Little Earth’s volunteer network with 12 volunteers and engaged two summer interns, strengthening community outreach, environmental awareness, monitoring and the organization’s capacity to work with young people.
- Strengthened Little Earth’s institutional and financial sustainability, including the adoption of key internal governance policies and the mobilisation of EUR 5,400 in co-funding from Women Engage for a Common Future.
