A three-day Regional Forum of Heads of Emergency Authorities of Central Asian countries has wrapped up in Dushanbe on 6 October 2022.
The annual meeting brought together heads of emergency agencies and officials from all five Central Asian countries, as well as representatives of international development organizations – the World Bank, the EU, the United Nations Security Council, ADB.
The meeting was also attended by experts and representatives of research institutes in the field of natural hazards and disaster risk management.
Participants discussed measures to enhance regional cooperation and strengthen the resilience of Central Asian countries, as well as prospects for a regional early warning system and implementation of information and communication technologies for disaster risk reduction (DRR) in the region.
Natural disasters in Central Asia cause an estimated $10 billion in economic losses annually, according to the World Bank. In addition, disaster risk is inextricably linked to other related areas, such as agriculture, water management, energy, and healthcare. However, countries are making efforts to coordinate steps to DRR and mitigate the consequences of emergencies.
International organizations provide significant assistance to the region in this area. Thus, according to the EU Special Representative for Central Asia Terhi Hakala, currently the EU finances nine major projects worth almost EUR 40 million that help strengthen DRR systems and build climate resilience. A number of projects are being implemented jointly with the UN, OSCE, the World Bank, the EBRD, and the International Science and Technology Center.
The present meeting in Tajikistan provided an opportunity to review the implementation of the Roadmap for the implementation of the regional Strategy of Cooperation in Central Asia for Disaster Risk Reduction for 2022 – 2030, which was adopted at the last forum in Tashkent. In addition, the action plan for implementing the Roadmap’s priority directions for 2023-24 was detailed.
Round tables were held on the sidelines of the meeting, where participants discussed issues of emergency preparedness and elimination of their consequences through disaster risk financing. In addition, the participants learnt about additional disaster risk assessment models initiated by ADB.
Moreover, the forum participants discussed issues of regional cooperation on technogenic risks, adaptation to climate change and transboundary emergencies.
The meeting has been hosted by the Committee of Emergency Situations and Civil Defense under the Government of Tajikistan and supported by the Center for Emergency Situations and Disaster Risk Reduction (CESDRR), which acts as a secretariat of the Regional Forum. This event was financially supported by the European Union (EU), with the technical support and coordination of the World Bank, Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), and UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR). ///nCa, 7 October 2022