The Glaciology Center, the Agency for Hydrometeorology of the Committee for Environmental Protection under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan, is one of the key structures in the field of glacier protection research and monitoring. For 69 years, conducting a study of snow cover, forecasting the risks of natural disasters, monitoring glaciers, the breakthrough of glacial lakes and explosive lakes.
It was this long-term experience and the achievement of significant results that prompted the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan to entrust the implementation of the "State Program for the Study and Protection of Glaciers in Tajikistan in 2010-2030" to the Agency for Hydrometeorology.
It is important to note that the Agency for Hydrometeorology has strengthened its activities in the field of research and expeditionary work, and as part of the implementation of the points of the above program and the requirements of the Decree of the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan dated August 31, 2023 No. 407 on the implementation of the UN resolution "International Year of Glacier Conservation" during 2024 with the direct support of the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan in During the winter period, 29 educational, research and expeditionary work was carried out on foot to study the snow cover, 5 helicopter observations (aerial visual) were conducted, 18 expeditions were conducted on glaciers, glacial lakes, explosive lakes, dangerous areas of landslides and avalanches in the basins of rivers of the republic, making a total of 52 expeditions.
It is a matter of pride that in May 2025, dedicated to the "2025 – International Year of Glacier Conservation", for the first time in the Republic of Tajikistan, the Agency's specialists conducted research on the winter mass balance, that is, the study of snow cover in winter on the glacier of the Hydrographic Party of the Zeravshan River basin, which still It has never been used in our country. The new stage of research will contribute to the sustainable development of the country's glacier monitoring network and strengthen the scientific base for studying glacial water resources.
The main purpose of measuring the glacier's winter balance is to determine the amount of snow that accumulates on the glacier's surface in winter and serves as the main source of melting in summer. It is thanks to these measurements that it becomes possible to assess the contribution of snow to the restoration of glacier balance, which is of particular importance in the context of climate change.
The measurements were carried out at different levels of the glacier, from bottom to top, using the depth of snow pits of snow and precise sensing (satellite images). For example, experts dug snow pits 2-4 meters deep and studied the composition and density of snow layers. The following parameters were recorded for each depth (hole):
• Total snow thickness and density,
• indicators of individual layers (fresh snow, packed snow, frozen layers),
• water content of snow,
• Temperature and relative humidity in different layers.
These measurements allowed us to calculate the total volume of the water content of the snow equivalent. Based on this estimate, it is determined how much reserves (mass) the glacier was able to accumulate over the winter.
The glacier of the hydrographic party located in the upper reaches of the Zarafshan River basin is one of the most important objects of glaciological research in the country and has been under constant monitoring since 2018. In 2018, as part of international cooperation with the Finnish Meteorological Institute, an automatic station was installed near the glacier, recording hourly data on temperature, precipitation, humidity, wind speed and direction, and other weather indicators.
Measuring the winter balance of Tajikistan's glaciers provides an important basis, first of all, for an accurate understanding of the melting processes of glaciers, which are the main source of fresh water in the country. Since more than 60% of Central Asia's water resources are formed on the territory of the Republic of Tajikistan, glaciers play a key role in providing water to rivers, irrigating agricultural land, and generating electricity.
In this regard, the implementation of measurements of the winter balance of glaciers can contribute to the development of realistic forecasts of water resources, as well as the assessment of risks associated with the rapid melting of glaciers. This research is also key to the development of a National Glacial Water Resources Management Strategy.
Carrying out winter balance measurements on the glacier of the hydrographic party is not only an important scientific milestone, but also an important practical phenomenon in the history of glaciology in Tajikistan.
07.05.2025