Dushanbe, Tajikistan 1-2 June, 2010 – In 2002, the village of Dasht, located in the Pamirs of Tajikistan was completely destroyed by a glacial lake outburst flood, leaving dozens of residents of the village dead and hundreds homeless. In response to this disaster, joint European-Tajik scientific studies were conducted in 2005 and 2010. These studies have identified tens of thousands of people living throughout the isolated mountainous regions of Tajikistan that are exposed to similar climate-related hazards.

In order to reduce the risk of such communities to these hazards, Focus Humanitarian Assistance (FOCUS), an affiliate of the Aga Khan Development Network, in collaboration with the Government of Tajikistan, and with funding provided by UKaid from the Department for International Development (DFID) and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), implemented a glacial lake outburst flood risk reduction project. As part of this project, FOCUS hosted a Regional Climate Risk Resilience Workshop on “Fostering Resilience to Remote Geo-Hazards” on 1st and 2nd June, 2010

The workshop provided a platform for policy-makers and scientific practitioners to discuss issues around policies and programs on climate risk resilience and sharing of best practices on remote geo-hazards risk assessments.

The first day of the workshop was chaired by Colonel Alisho Shomahmadov of the Government’s Committee of Emergency Situations and Civil Defense and included presentations and discussions on policies and programmes on climate risk resilience implemented in the region, providing opportunities for policy-makers and interested parties to engage in the discussions and draw relevant conclusions and recommendations. The second day of the event was chaired by Director Mahmad Safarov of the Government’s Administration for Hydrometeorology and concentrated on enabling scientific practitioners to learn and discuss remote geo-hazards risk assessment methodologies, practices and results particularly those conducted by the University of Natural Resources and Applied Sciences, Vienna.

Participants at the workshop included key government, donor and non-government institution representations from Tajikistan, Asia and Europe. The outcomes of the workshop provided key conclusions and recommendations in guiding future climate related risk reduction interventions in the country.

For further information please contact:
Malohat Shoinbodova
Communications/MIS Officer
FOCUS in Tajikistan
Email: malohat.shoinbodova@focushumanitarian.org Phone: +992 372 24 76 50
Mobile: +992 93 571 99 92

Focus Humanitarian Assistance (FOCUS)

Focus Humanitarian Assistance (FOCUS) is an international disaster management and emergency response agency providing relief and support services during and following natural and man-made disasters, primarily in the developing world. It is established in Europe, North America, Central and South Asia and helps people in need reduce their dependence on humanitarian aid and facilitates their transition to sustainable, self-reliant, long-term development. FOCUS is an affiliate of the Aga Khan Development Network, a group of institutions working to improve opportunities and living conditions for people of all faiths and origins in specific regions of the developing world. For further information please see Focus Humanitarian Assistance home page For more than 12 years FOCUS and the Government of Tajikistan have partnered to foster disaster resiliency whereby seeking to improve the quality of life of people in Tajikistan.

UKaid from the Department for International Development (DFID)

The UKaid from the Department for International Development (DFID) is the part of the United Kingdom Government that manages Britain’s aid to poor countries and works to get rid of extreme poverty.

DFID supports long-term programmes to help tackle the underlying causes of poverty in over 150 countries world-wide. DFID also responds to humanitarian crises around the world, providing funding to relief operations, search and rescue expertise and emergency supplies to help save lives when disasters strike.

DFID has been in Tajikistan since 2003 and has provided over $18 million of support during that time. For more information please visit the DFID website on http://www.dfid.gov.uk or contact:

Mahvash Kalandarova
Project officer
DFID Tajikistan
Email: M-Kalandarova@dfid.gov.uk
Phone: (+992 37) 251 00 38
Mobile: (+992) 907 71 53 66

Swiss Cooperation Office SCO

(Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SDC and State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO)
The Swiss Cooperation Office SCO has been present in Tajikistan since 1998. Swiss cooperation supports the efforts of all its diverse partners to create sustainable development: the government, the civil society organizations and the equally important private sector. Swiss financial cooperation (SECO) engages in basic infrastructure in the fields of drinking water and energy supply, private sector development and public finances management. Technical cooperation (SDC) focuses on health care services, on support to water supply, sanitation and irrigation systems, on rule of law as well as on art and culture. The long term oriented humanitarian aid addresses the utterly crucial management of disaster risks and their prevention and mitigation.
For more information on the Disaster Reduction Programme in Central Asia please contact:

Annemarie Schneider
Head of the SDC Humanitarian Aid Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Programme Central Asia,
SCO Dushanbe, Tajikistan and SCO Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
E-mail: annemarie.schneider@sdc.net Phone: +992 37 224 73 16
Mobile: +992 918 79 85 02