Governmental Decree No. 791 validating Water Sector Reform Program of the Republic of Tajikistan for 2016-2025.

Water Sector Reform Program of the Republic of Tajikistan for 2016-2025 reflects the issues of water sector reform in all subsectors related to water use. Water management is listed as "sector" and includes various special water uses, such as irrigation or hydropower as a “subsector”. The Program indicates first the main problems of the water sector, and then suggests ways to address them through reform. Originator of Water Sector Reform Program is the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan.
Water Sector Reform regards Integrated water resources management (IWRM) in all the national river water basins.
The scope of the water sector reform is to lay the foundations for decentralization of control systems and the assignment of part of the functions for operation in the process of division of responsibility between ministries and departments and partially NGOs. The proposed reform is based on general guiding principles of IWRM and emphasizes social, economic interests and the environment through sustainable balanced management and development of water resources.
The water sector reform will be carried out in accordance with a number of guiding principles, among which the transition to IWRM, including basin management and separation of political and administrative (regulatory) functions from production and economic duties, including operation and maintenance of infrastructure, the provision of water services.
Features of integrated water resources management in Republic of Tajikistan are: (a) the importance of hydropower; (b) the importance of payment for water services; (c) prevention of groundwater depletion; (d) importance of access to irrigation water; (e) transition to the principles of basin management; (f) the need for public participation; and (g) special attention to the vulnerability of mountain regions and strengthening flood protection.
Given the priorities, the following principles should be observed: (a) environment must be recognized as a water consumer and its water needs must be taken into account, because during the degradation or damage, it cannot be easily restored and can be completely lost; (b) in determining the priorities for the use of water, it is necessary to balance the needs of all sub-sectors so that water use in one subsector had no impact on another subsector; and (c) in emergency situations, the vital importance of potable water supply should be a priority.