Central Asia has a complex risk profile, and earthquakes are among the most prominent hazards. Tajikistan is no exception, with the 1949 Khait and the 1989 Gissar earthquakes illustrating the country’s high seismic exposure, according to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Tajikistan.
On July 13, UNDP and the Executive Body of State Authority of Dushanbe hosted an inception meeting for the regional project “Strengthening the System for Region-Wide Disaster Risk Reduction in Central Asia,” funded by the Government of Japan.
As part of UNDP’s disaster risk reduction portfolio in Central Asia, the new project aims to strengthen regional coordination, with a focus on earthquake risk management, to ensure effective preparedness, response, and recovery during cross-border disasters.
Implemented in collaboration with the Centre for Emergency Situations and Disaster Risk Reduction (CESDRR), it will also introduce earthquake alarm systems in the pilot cities of Almaty, Osh, Dushanbe, Ashgabat, and Namangan, drawing on best practices from Japan and other countries.
Participants came from the Executive Body of State Authority of Dushanbe, the Committee of Emergency Situations and Civil Defence of Tajikistan, the Embassy of Japan in Tajikistan, UNDP Tajikistan, its Istanbul Regional Hub for Europe and Central Asia, and CESDRR.
Discussions centered on the new project’s objectives, its planned activities for 2026–2027, and the installation of the earthquake alarm systems at pilot sites in Dushanbe. Under the ongoing regional project to enhance urban resilience in Central Asia, the city’s risk profile and the progress in integrating climate and disaster risk management into the 2026–2030 Socio-Economic Development Programme were also presented.
“We are confident that joint initiatives will continue to contribute to strengthening regional cooperation, promoting decision-making, and mobilising additional international resources to enhance urban resilience in our region,” noted Dovud Obidzoda, Head of the Department of Economics, Finance, and Forecast at the Executive Body of State Authority of Dushanbe.
“This project’s success will depend first and foremost on our partnership. We are counting on the active participation of national agencies, ministries, municipalities, academia, and all interested organisations,” said Sardor Kodirov, UNDP Regional Project Manager.
