The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in partnership with the Ministry of Emergency Situations, has introduced an innovative technical solution aimed at expanding population coverage by Multi-Hazard Early Warning System for emergency situations, UNDP Uzbekistan has announced.
As part of a pilot initiative, special alert broadcast devices have been installed in mosques located near populated areas. This will enable the transmission of emergency messages from the Ministry of Emergency Situations through the mosques’ external loudspeakers and ensure the prompt dissemination of information to a wide audience. To date, devices have been installed in 272 mosques across seven regions of Uzbekistan: Fergana, Jizzakh, Kashkadarya, Namangan, Samarkand, Syrdarya and Tashkent regions.
The selection of mosques is not incidental: they are traditionally perceived as authoritative social institutions with significant influence on local communities. In addition, mosques are located in almost all settlements and are equipped with high-powered external loudspeakers, providing an audible range of 500 to 2,000 meters. As alerts are broadcast externally, all residents within range, regardless of whether they are inside or outside the mosque, receive the warning directly. According to project estimates, alerting through mosques makes it possible to reach approximately 6.5 million people, including women, men, children, and vulnerable groups.
An additional advantage of this channel is the ability to transmit emergency messages even when mobile communications and power supply are disrupted. In the context of climate change and the increasing risks of natural hazards, early warning is critical to saving lives and reducing economic losses. To date, with UNDP support and funding from the Green Climate Fund, in addition to these devices, 28 outdoor large-format screens have been installed along major highways in areas with high concentrations of people to alert the population.
