With about 85 % of irrigated agricultural land in Tajikistan, irrigation schemes play a central role for commercial crop production of dekhan farms (peasants) but also contribute to food security for households by cultivating kitchen gardens or presidential land. However, many structural and institutional problems in the land and water sector hinder the efficiency and sustainability of Tajik agriculture.This paper is aimed to determine the discrepancies between de jure and de facto (property) rights of the different farm households with respect to land and water resources for the case of Tajikistan.