A number of industrial enterprises are expected to be built in Khorog, the capital of the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO), within the next couple of years.
The GBAO governor’s press service says Tajikistan Security Council Secretary Nasrullo Mahmoudzoda has remarked this during his visit to Khorog.
GBAO Governor Alisher Mirzonabot reported noted that new industrial enterprises will be built in the city within the framework of plans on further development of the city and in honor of the celebration ща еру 35th anniversary of Tajikistan’s Independence, which will be celebrated in 2026.
He reportedly presented a project for the construction of new industrial enterprises on the basis of the city’s industrial park.
The construction of these enterprises will be financed by local entrepreneurs that shows support for local businesses and indicates stimulation of the domestic economy, the Khorog mayor’s office press center says.
Thus, it is reportedly planned to build enterprises for the production of medicines from medicinal plants, the production of furniture and the processing of meat and production of sausages, the processing of milk, and the production of building materials.
Nasrullo Mahmoudzoda and Alisher Mirzonabot have reportedly got acquainted with of already operating industrial enterprises and visited sites for construction of new economic and social facilities in Khorog.
Set at 2,200 meters above sea level in the Pamir Mountains at the confluence of the Ghund and Panj rivers, Khorog is one of the highest altitude urban settlements in Central Asia. The city is bounded to the south (Nivodak) and to the north (Tem) by the deltas of the Shokhdara and Ghund rivers, respectively. The two rivers merge in the eastern part of the city flow through the city, dividing it almost evenly until its delta in the Panj River. Khorog is known for its beautiful poplar trees that dominate the flora of the city.
Recall, the then governor of GBAO Shodikhon Jamshed told Rossiya dlya Vsekh (Russia 4 All) in late October 2014 that the territory of Khorog is expected to increase as the GBAO authorities plan to build “New Khorog”. Mr. Jamshed said 200 hectares were allocated for construction of “New Khorog”.
Khorog reportedly faces the challenges of multiple natural and environmental hazards compounded by rapid urbanization. The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) notes that for Khorog built for 15,000 people with a current population of about 40,000 projected to double by 2040, resilient urban planning is critical to securing its future.
The Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH), which is part of AKDN, noted in May 2021 that the Khorog Urban Resilience Program is a five-year initiative designed to set up the structures, systems and capacity to transform Khorog into a model resilient city, promoting sustainable economic growth and investment. The program reportedly links the plans, structures and investments of the Government of Tajikistan to resilience building and planning initiatives of the community and national and international partners in Khorog.
With funding from the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, the European Union and the Embassy of Japan, AKAH has been working with the GBAO authorities to plan and mobilize resources for a 15-year program of work to upgrade aging economic, social and health infrastructure. This reportedly includes collaboration with Tajikistan’s Committee of Architecture and Construction and UN-HABITAT to upgrade the existing Government approved town plan.