Blog Post

Insights from an Explorative Field trip to Jaloliddini Balkhi District of Khatlon Region, Tajikistan

2 December 2019

by Aksana Zakirova,
Doctoral Candidate of TRANSECT Junior Research Group

Jaloliddini Balkhi district is located in the western part of Khatlon region, in the valley of Vakhsh river. The agriculture of the district is mainly characterized by cotton cultivation, which was established as a monoculture farm practice during the Soviet Union era. However, during my explorative visits to the fields I have noticed a gradual shift towards a diversification of crops - mostly food and fodder crops such as wheat, maize, vegetables and alfalfa. Moreover, farmers also engage in small-scale animal husbandry, agroforestry and aquaculture. There are many reasons for this transformation and it needs further investigation. Jaloliddini Balkhi district was the first stop on my explorative field trip to Khatlon region. My next field visit will take place in neighbouring Qumsangir district which once used to be populated by an ethnically German minority.

Please hover with mouse over photos to read the description.

© HNEE 2019 / Aksana Zakirova

Research area Tajikistan, Khatlon region
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Water from a channel
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Tajik woman baking bread
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Cattle grazing on agricultural land
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Animal dung for fertilizing land
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Channel for irrigation
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Alfalfa fodder crop indicates groundwater is close
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Strawberries as a means of crop diversification
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Women harvesting carrots
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Two brothers maintaining a dekhon farm
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Storage of maize harvest
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Some farmers introduced beans to diversify their crops
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Shelterbelt along agricultural fields
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Cotton waiting for being picked by predominantly women
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Shelterbelt mulberry trees serve the local silk production
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Ponds for aquaculture
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After the rice harvest
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Old Soviet concrete pipe
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Obsolete Soviet water pump
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Integrated fruit crop cultivation
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Cotton production with integrated fruit trees
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Grandma shows one of the plant varieties of the village
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Freshly processed land with tractor sowing wheat
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Sesame tree residues are used a source of energy in winter
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Field sown with wheat
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Fencing off fields along the shelterbelt to protect them from cattle
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A farmer explains why he had a low harvest this year
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English speaking farmer in Khatlon
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Cotton stalks are used for baking bread in the tanur oven
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Drying cotton stalks in every household
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Pengshan Pan

Guest Fellow, Jun - Sep 2022

Pengshan Pan's research focuses on international development and political economy, especially in Central and South Asia. In particular, he explores the interlinkages between foreign direct investment, the environment and conflict. At TRANSECT, he is working on the project of China's agricultural production and technology investments in Pakistan and Kazakhstan.

pep27@pitt.edu

Research Interests

International Political Economy
Development Economics
Environment and Conflict
Foreign Investment and Labor
Islam in Post-Communism
China in Central and South Asia

Curriculum Vitae

Pengshan Pan is a PhD candidate at the University of Pittsburgh, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. His fields are international political economy and development. His research focuses on international development and political economy, especially in Central and South Asia. In particular, he explores the interlinkages between foreign direct investment, nature and conflict. He is broadly interested in industrial policies in post-communist countries and China's footprint in Eurasia.

Aug 2017 – Current

PhD Candidate, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs

University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA

Graduate Certificate: Center for Russian & East European Studies / Asian Studies Center
Fields: International Political Economy / Development

Aug 2014 – Dec 2016

Master of Science, Economics

University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI, USA

Sep 2009 – Jun 2013

Bachelor of Economics, Finance

Sichuan University Chengdu, China

Experience

mid-June /July / August / mid-September 2022

Visiting Fellow, TRANSECT

Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development Eberswalde, Germany

Mar / April /May / June 2022

Research Fellow, OSCE Academy Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

Spring 2022
Participant, Economic Research Mentoring Program,

China-Russia Eurasian Studies Center Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan

Summer 2021
Participant, Virtual Summer School on Socioeconomic Inequality
University of Chicago / Hong Kong University of Science and Techology

Summer 2018

Participant, ICPSR Summer Institute, EITM Certificate

University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI, USA

Sep 2017 – Current
Research Assistant, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs Pittsburgh, PA, USA

Sep 2016 - Apr 2017

Research Assistant, La Follette School of Public Affairs Madison, WI, USA

Conference & Seminar Presentations

Fall 2022 / Montreal, Canada & Fall 2021 Seattle, WA, USA, (virtual)

American Political Science Association Conference (APSA)

Spring 2022

Midwest Political Science Association Conference (MPSA)

Chicago, IL, USA

Summer 2022 / Tashkent, Uzbekistan & Fall 2021 Columbus, OH, USA, (virtual)

Central Eurasian Studies Society Conference (CESS)

Spring 2022

Graduate Students in International Political Economy (GSIPE), (virtual)

Summer 2022

Wisconsin Russia Project Workshop

University of Wisconsin–Madison, WI, USA

Summer 2021

Conceptualizing the BRI and its Effects Workshop

University of Toronto, Canada

Summer 2021
Political Science and International Relations Academic Community Conference

Tsinghua University Beijing, China

+49 (0) 3334 657 198

TRANSECT
Schwappachweg 3 (22.1)
16225 Eberswalde
Germany

Insights from an Explorative Field trip to Jaloliddini Balkhi District of Khatlon Region, Tajikistan

by Aksana Zakirova,Doctoral Candidate of TRANSECT Junior Research Group

Research area Tajikistan, Khatlon region

Water from a channel

Tajik woman baking bread

Cattle grazing on agricultural land

Animal dung for fertilizing land

Channel for irrigation

Alfalfa fodder crop indicates groundwater is close

Strawberries as a means of crop diversification

Women harvesting carrots

Two brothers maintaining a dekhon farm

Storage of maize harvest

Some farmers introduced beans to diversify their crops

Shelterbelt along agricultural fields

Cotton waiting for being picked by predominantly women

Shelterbelt mulberry trees serve the local silk production

Ponds for aquaculture

After the rice harvest

Old Soviet concrete pipe

Obsolete Soviet water pump

Integrated fruit crop cultivation

Cotton production with integrated fruit trees

Grandma shows one of the plant varieties of the village

Freshly processed land with tractor sowing wheat

Sesame tree residues are used a source of energy in winter

Field sown with wheat

Fencing off fields along the shelterbelt to protect them from cattle

A farmer explains why he had a low harvest this year

English speaking farmer in Khatlon

Cotton stalks are used for baking bread in the tanur oven

Drying cotton stalks in every household

Pengshan Pan

Guest Fellow, Jun - Sep 2022

TRANSECTSchwappachweg 3 (22.1)16225 EberswaldeGermany

by Aksana Zakirova,
Doctoral Candidate of TRANSECT Junior Research Group

TRANSECT
Schwappachweg 3 (22.1)
16225 Eberswalde
Germany