PamirLink Information

ABOUT PAMIRLINK PamirLink supports local initiatives in Basid, a small remote village in the Tajik Pamir. The key areas of support are reliable energy supply and sustainable tourism. PamirLink is a Swiss not-for-profit organisation interconnected with people and village organisations in the Tajik Pamir. KNOWLEDGE AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER IN MICRO-HYDROPOWER GENERATION PamirLink supports the renewal of an existing but inefficient micro power plant in Basid, a remote village in the Bartang valley. The community itself laid the foundation to resolve the serious energy crisis by building a basic micro-hydropower plant and by purchasing a generator. However, the existing plant is highly inefficient and allows covering only very basic energy needs such as lighting. With the assistance of PamirLink, the plant will be upgraded and equipped with improved components, including an efficient and reliable turbine. The increased performance will be sufficient to supply the entire village with electricity to cover most domestic needs, including cooking. Community capacity building is crucial for the success of the project. An experienced hydropower specialist will train the local technicians on the job. Having received this training, they will be able to carry out revisions and upgrades of micro hydropower plants by themselves. This should benefit the whole region. Adequate and reliable energy supply is the first step out of poverty: it reduces deforestation, enhances the living conditions of the population, especially women and children who are engaged in the increasingly difficult task of firewood gathering, and offers the opportunity for small scale economic development. MORE THAN JUST HOLIDAYS PamirLink enables unconventional journeys into the remote mountains of the Tajik Pamirs: Their focal point is the mutual exchange between the local inhabitants and the tourists.