The center was opened at the request of the President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon in order to pay greater attention to the development of science.

“A number of priority areas were identified in relation to the development of national science,” said the Vice-President of the Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan Abdusattor Saidov.

As a result, the Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan opened a new Center for the Study of Glaciers.

“The main task of the Center is to conduct a complete inventory of glaciers in Tajikistan,-to specify what areas they occupy and what changes have occurred relating to the structure of glaciers in the last 50 years,” noted Saidov.

Tajikistan is rich in water resources. More than 60% of water reserves of Central Asia are in the territory of Tajikistan. Glaciers are the main sources of potable and non-potable water.

“This newly formed center has organized several expeditions to monitor glaciers in Zarafshan, as well as eastern and western Pamir. For the first time new data was obtained,” added Saidov.

More than 30 specialists from the Institutes of Botany, Plant Physiology and Genetics, Zoology and Parasitology, Geology, Seismology and Seismic Engineering, Water Problems and other related areas were involved in the expeditions to study the biological diversity of the country.

Other expeditions to various regions of Tajikistan were organized to collect materials on rare, endangered and endemic plant and animal species.