Migration, remittances and forest restoration in Tajikistan: Turning a coping strategy into local resilience
Key messages
- Tajikistan has made steady progress towards medium levels of economic and human development, yet its fragile ecosystems and limited domestic employment make the country highly vulnerable to economic shocks, natural disasters and climate change. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, labour migration has become a central livelihood strategy, and remittances (funds that the migrant send back home) now play a vital role in sustaining both household incomes and national stability.
- Under the Bonn Challenge and the Astana Resolution, Tajikistan has pledged to reforest or afforest 4,000 hectares (ha) annually through 2030. Assuming an average cost of USD 450 per ha, this would require about USD 1.8 million per year – equivalent to only 0.04% of annual remittance inflows or 2.4% of the annual economic losses caused by landslides and mudflows (USD 75 million).
- Strengthening Joint Forest Management and the Saving Book approach could provide practical incentives for local participation in restoration. The Saving Book mechanism allows communities to voluntarily pool and reinvest small savings into collective restoration initiatives – without diverting remittances – linking financial inclusion with sustainable land and forest management.
- Migration in Tajikistan represents both an adaptation strategy and a vulnerability factor, highlighting the need for policies that transform remittance-based livelihoods into long-term local opportunities. Enabling frameworks – secure tenure, targeted incentives, financial inclusion and community-based management – can help channel voluntary savings and local capacities towards forest and land restoration.
- The Tajik experience offers valuable lessons for other remittance-dependent countries seeking to link migration, adaptation and sustainable landscape recovery.
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This works is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors
Djoudi, H.,Bakhtibekova, Z.,Pingault, N.,Martius, C.
Publication year
2025
