Pastoralism and Rangeland Management on the Tibetan Plateau in ...

5.4 Recent Changes in Pastoral Systems in
Tajikistan
Yodgor Qonunov 56
1 Background
The Pamir Mountains are located in the most mountainous area of the Republic
of Tajikistan <strong>and</strong> occupy 637,000 thous<strong>and</strong> km2 of l<strong>and</strong>, accounting
for 44.6 % of the total area of the Republic. This mountainous zone is covered
by varied l<strong>and</strong>scapes including sub-tropic, alpine, eternal snows <strong>and</strong> freezing
high-altitude deserts, where valleys alternate with steep, rising mountains. It is
in this zone that the highest mountain systems converge – the Tien Shan, the
Hindukush, Kun-Lun <strong>and</strong> the Karakoram. The area is isolated from both the
humid cyclone air-streams from the west <strong>and</strong> the atmospheric precipitations
formed by monsoon winds in this part of Asia.
Photo 1: From the river level at the Pj<strong>and</strong>sh (subsequent Amu Darya) the slopes
of the Western Pamirs provide the habitat for combined mountain farmers <strong>and</strong>
pastoralists up to the snow-clad peaks such as Karla Marksa at 6723 m
(photograph © Hermann Kreutzmann July 17, 2010)
56 Inspection Unit Manager, Natural Conservation Department, Government of GBAO.
The paper is an abbreviated version of a presentation during the Khorog Workshop 2010.
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