On 7 November in Paris, His Highness met with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon. They discussed issues related to further expansion of cooperation between Tajikistan and AKDN. Tajik leader reportedly expressed satisfaction with the level and content of real cooperation between Tajikistan and AKDN. President Rahmon and His Highness discussed the implementation of national and strategic programmes aimed at providing energy independence of Tajikistan, bringing the country out of the transportation deadlock, constructing bridges and cross-border marketplaces in border areas of Tajikistan and Afghanistan. 

Communities of the Ganges delta in Bangladesh have lived between land and water for centuries. Flooding will become even more frequent as the effects of climate change intensify. Good design is essential if this challenge is to be addressed. Winner of the AKAA in 2016, Architect Marina Tabassum’s practice in Dhaka, has used low-cost, sustainable substances in its designs. The Bait Ur Rouf Mosque, built in 2012, sits on a raised plinth to protect it from floodwater. Peter Clegg, a British architecture firm, took a different approach when building the Aga Khan Academy. The academy is elevated from the ground. It features attenuation areas, five feet below ground level, which allow water to drain away, perforated brick facades to deal with heat and humidity and shaded paths and verandahs which allows the use of air-conditioning to be limited to classrooms.