Partners from the Ministry of Agriculture, the Agency for Hydrometeorology, the Committee for Emergency Situations and Civil Defense, the Agency for Land Reclamation and Irrigation, and the Food Safety Committee, along with representatives from national academic institutions and members of Parliament, reviewed the achievements of Phase I and discussed future perspectives for all stakeholders, including the project’s funding agencies.
Jointly and equally funded by Caritas Switzerland and the Swiss Government and implemented by Caritas Switzerland, the WWCS initiative was launched in April 2021 and will conclude on July 31, 2025. Over this period, the project collaborated with reputable international partners, including MeteoSwiss, ICARDA, SLF, WMO, BOKU University and OSU[1]. It significantly expanded the network of weather stations, relying on a low-cost and open-source design. Today, more than 300 low-cost weather stations have been installed and are operated in collaboration with the Agency for Hydrometeorology. These stations have enabled more accurate local weather forecasts and early warnings for extreme weather events such as frost and heatwaves, helping to reduce risks to human health, livestock, and the environment. The project has also laid the foundation for a suite of weather-water-climate services, including weather-based advisory tools to optimize planting dates and enhance agricultural productivity through more efficient irrigation use.
Governmental stakeholders acknowledged success in demonstrating the value of localized weather data and services for the farming sector. Timely information provided by WWCS has contributed to increased crop yields (quantity and quality), reduced post-harvest losses, and improved water resource management. Stakeholders expressed a strong interest in expanding the WWCS model to other regions of Tajikistan, enhancing digital dissemination platforms, and strengthening community engagement.
Looking beyond July 2025, for both, Caritas Switzerland and the Swiss Cooperation in Tajikistan, the topic of ‘Climate change adaptation and mitigation’ will remain in the focus of their interventions.
In this regard, Caritas Switzerland aims to continue supporting the institutionalization and long-term sustainability of the WWCS initiative. This includes further enhancing national capacities, fostering more effective inter-agency collaboration, and identifying new funding opportunities. Efforts will also focus on integrating WWCS into national development strategies and planning processes—at both national and district levels—particularly in the context of climate resilience. Pilot replications of the ‘WWCS approach’ in other countries of Caritas Switzerland’s operations are under way. What has been co-developed in Tajikistan, together with partners from the government, rural farmers and communities, will ultimately benefit farmers across Central Asia and beyond. Within its new Regional Cooperation Program for Central Asia 2026-2029, the Swiss Cooperation in Tajikistan will focus on new interventions that will be based on the successful assets of accomplished national and regional projects in the field of climate resilience, water and energy as well as economic development.
Info about Caritas Switzerland: Caritas Switzerland is a Swiss NGO, founded in 1901 with headquarters in Lucerne, Switzerland. Caritas Switzerland assists people in need within more than 50 countries abroad as well as in Switzerland. Caritas Switzerland has been active in Tajikistan since 1996 and in Uzbekistan since 2023. Within its country programme strategy for 2021-2025, contextually relevant approaches for inclusive, effective and sustainable weather-water-climate services are developed and institutionalized for tangible improvements in human, livestock and environmental well-being within rural communities.
[1] MeteoSwiss: Swiss national agency for hydrometeorology of Switzerland; ICARDA: International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areasl; SLF: Swiss WSL institute for snow and avalanche research; WMO: World Meteorological Organization; BOKU University Vienna and OSU: Oregon State University
