A lot is written about the natural resources the Pamirs has in its entrails. We also get a lot of information about the struggle for re-partition of the world, the so called new world order, the struggle which has actually begum today. And it stands to reason, that this order whose basic purpose is an establishment of control over strategically important regions of the planet can’t be set up without wars. And these wars flash out more often there where leading world powers have a stake in. These are just those assumptions you are to proceed from when holding in view the durable war in Afghanistan with frequent changes of governing regimes, an unquenchable flame of minor and major military conflicts in the Middle East - the richest regions of the world in the aspect of mineral resources.
Is a recurrent war conflict possible in Tajikistan, say in the Pamirs, which is attracting the attention of leading world powers for no one century? With the changed situation in Afghanistan the prospects may be looked upon more optimistically. For today the zone of interests of the USA, Great Britain and Russia has been determined. The British and Americans are pleased with having engrafted themselves into this region rich with natural resources. Russia retains its influence in the Pamirs due to the established partnership relations with Tajikistan and Kyrgyzia. Ones lay accounts with a further development of situation in these Central Asian countries, an economic support of the processes occurring in the region which would entail a failure of Russian “Oriental Policy”, others try to legalize the sojourn of their militaries in these countries ignoring such turn of events that a hungry people may overthrow a tsar at any moment and elect a new one. Another mighty power - that of China doesn’t remain aside, it is quite capable to defend its territory - the northern-eastern part of the Pamirs. But still China tries to pursue its policy in regard to neighbours self-sufficiently, it doesn’t involve them into integration so obtrusively as, for example, Russia and the United States do it. Many people may not take notice of the “big game” going around the Pamirs natural resources. The more the deposits of mineral resources in other regions of the world are exploited being under the supervision of the world capital the more alluring is becoming the Pamirs with its untapped reserves of silver, uranium, gold, minerals, sources of fresh water, hydro power; in due time all these stocks will enable the country possessing them to dictate terms to others.
What do we know about the country we live in, about its miraculous potential fortified with concrete data? We know absolutely nothing apart from a narrow circle of experts. Of course, we heard the legends traced back to famous traveler Marco Polo about precious stones strewn over the mountains of the Pamirs and the Tien-Shan, huge glaciers being sources of fresh water; however, even many economists won’t be able to confirm the strategic importance of the Pamirs.
In order to make the reader believe me I shall adduce some figures which will afford you to draw conclusions yourselves in reference to the non-fortuitous interest in our region on the part of the world powers. Today there is cosmic technique to our benefit which permits to execute tapping jobs much more effectively that the best terrestrial-explorative services do it.
And so, what is the Pamirs and Tajikistan upon the whole from the point of view of natural resources? First of all, our country possesses over a half of hydropower resources. The potential of Tajikistan in elaboration of electric power is equal to over three hundred billion kilowatt/hours. See for yourselves how many Nurek HEPSs can build along the river flows of Tajikistan if employing its full capacity it works out 2.7 mln kilowatts for an hour. The glaciers of Tajikistan contain over 460 cubic kilometers of water. Small Tajikistan concedes only Russia with its vast territory by its hydropower potential.
American geologists refer the Pamirs to the most perspective regions of the world in the plane of tapping and extraction of ore. Well, only Northern-Eastern Siberia can compete with the Pamirs in this respect. It goes without saying that tapping of deposits being an uphill work requires big capital investments, but those having money can cope with it. Only silver deposits possess the reserves of forty thousand tons of pure metal. Readers must have heard that it is namely the territory of Tajikistan where there is the largest deposit of boron. From the Pamirs mountains you can extract millions of tons of pure plumb and tin. There is also nickel in great amounts here, by its composition it is close to that one of Norilsk. As for precious stones, such as azurite, ruby, lal (diamond), they came into proverb in society. Now judge for yourselves, whether the world capital can omit this wealth. In the period of tension in the Tajik-Uzbek relations when pressure levers were applied in regard to Tajikistan by the Uzbek leadership our newspaper happened to touch the question concerned with the urgency of laying out a tunnel through the Turkistan mountain range for a transfer of a part of the Zarafshon water flow. An effectuation of this project might afford Tajikistan to irrigate over 65 thousand hectares of lands in Shakhristan district and 35 thousand hectares in Kizilin. And such project does exist. It is mapped out by “Tajikgiprovodhoz” scientifico-research institute. And this is our small Tajikistan. Not only the composure and peace of our people depend on how wise the policy of our state is, but the whole Central Asian region is taken into consideration. Any rash step can turn our region into an arena of large-scale political and economic clashes and discomfitures which will result inevitably into a new hotbed of military conflict.