File:Vakhsh River, Nurek (26029951908).jpg

English: The Vakhsh River in Tajikistan embodies several superlatives: it is the largest river in the country, the most important source of electricity, and it is home to world’s tallest engineered dam, the Nurek. The river flows southwest from the glacier-capped mountains of Kyrgyzstan and crosses the entire length of central Tajikistan. Because the country depends so heavily on the Vakhsh for electricity (as well as for agricultural irrigation), the potential impact of global warming on the glaciers that feed the river is a major environmental concern. Other risks to hydroelectric infrastructure come from seismic activity. The area is prone to earthquakes, which sometimes cause landslides that block the river and damage infrastructure.