Tajikistan - Habitat

To incorporate resilience into habitat planning and programme delivery, we (and our predecessor FOCUS) partner with:

• the Government of Tajikistan’s Committee of Emergency Situations and Civil Defence (CoESCD);


• the Main Department of Geology;


• the Committee for Environmental Protection;


• the Institute of Seismology;


• the Ministries of Education and Health; and


• the local governments in the Khatlon region, Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO), Rasht Valley and other regions of operation.

We receive financial support from the European Commission, the World Bank and the governments of Switzerland, Japan, the United Kingdom, Canada and the USA.

We have created an urban and rural planning framework and participatory planning methodology, referred to as habitat planning, for village-level, peri-urban and urban planning. AKAH and other AKDN agencies have implemented 110 integrated habitat assessments (IHAs) at watershed levels, which served as a basis to develop the habitat plans for about 120,000 people. The IHAs articulate long-term planning goals and objectives for the targeted areas based on land-use priorities, infrastructure, demographics and socio-economic needs and trends. They counter ad-hoc and fragmented physical interventions by providing integrated, long-term spatial design and implementation plans for safe and sustainable habitats, in which communities and individuals can thrive.

Our recent projects include:

• building water supply systems based on the Water and Sanitation Extension Programme (WASEP) approach, enabling access to safe drinking water and sanitation for over 53,550 people in GBAO, Rasht Valley and the Khatlon region;


• carrying out 33 water quality assessments across GBAO, the Khatlon region and Rasht Valley, benefitting 53,585 people;


• constructing public health facilities for 15,972 people in GBAO and the Rasht valley;


• enabling 20,308 people to access safe routes through the construction and rehabilitation of 44 bridges;


• enabling 20,000 youth and children in Khorog and Shugnan District to access seven modern sports facilities and playgrounds;


• constructing four emergency shelters in the most hazard-prone villages, each with a capacity of 50 people;


• rehabilitating 34 road sections in the Bartang valley, providing critical access routes for 4,500 people;


• constructing a secondary school for over 300 schoolchildren; and


• building corrals to protect livestock from wild animals and to reduce the human-wildlife conflict in rural areas, benefitting more than 400 families.

At almost 2,300 metres above sea level, Khorog, in GBAO, faces challenges including natural hazards, the impact of climate change, ageing infrastructure, demographic pressures and increasing urbanisation. AKAH and the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) are working on the Khorog Urban Resilience Programme. This will guide environmentally resilient and sustainable urban development and economic growth. The initiative provides technical support to national and municipal authorities to create a spatial strategic plan, guidelines and policies. Working in coordination with the local community, the project will promote inclusive urban development and enhance the quality of life of urban dwellers.

The Khorog Urban Resilience Programme is a five-year initiative designed to set up the structures, systems and capacity to transform Khorog into a model resilient city, promoting sustainable economic growth and investment. The programme links governmental structures, planning and investments with initiatives by the community and national and international partners to build resilience and plan for opportunity for the citizens of Khorog.

The programme encompasses habitat planning and hazard mapping to support the municipal and national authorities with evidence-based decision-making for land use. Demonstration projects on seismically resilient construction include work on the Khorog Youth Centre, water pumping systems and linked projects which support disaster risk reduction, the greening of the city and job creation. Capacity building initiatives for national and local government officials are included.

Neighbourhood-level disaster preparedness and risk mitigation initiatives will enable the government and communities to work together to plan for safety, as well as for opportunity, even as climate change increases risks.

Achievements since launch in 2020 include:

• a resilient construction training programme for 40 trainees, in partnership with the University of Central Asia and the Ministry of Labour;


• partnering with UN-Habitat to create recommendations to guide the resilient development and environmentally sustainable growth of the city;


• the extension and rehabilitation of the Khorog Youth Centre, including retrofitting to seismic construction standards; and


• work with the Committee of Architecture, Sharofar Project Design Institute and municipal and national authorities to update the Khorog Town Plan to include resilience inputs.

Partners

Partners for this project include the Government of Tajikistan, UN-Habitat and the Economic Cooperation and Development Division of the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs. The European Union and the Embassy of Japan have supplied additional funding.

The project aims to enhance the community emergency response to serve the vulnerable and people with disabilities. It will enhance the capacity and outreach of Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs), and Committee of Emergency Situation and Civil Defence (CoESCD) to assist people with disabilities.

It will provide youth and people with disabilities with equitable access to livelihood and humanitarian resources, especially in the COVID-19 situation. Skills development for women and a network of livelihood initiatives will increase their access to socio-economic opportunities. The project will also encourage youth with disabilities to effectively participate in sports and other social activities, for example, through inclusive playgrounds.