Partnership needed to address trans-boundary disasters in Central Asia, South Caucasus

BISHKEK, 10 February 2015 – Ministers from Central Asia and the South Caucasus have called for a stronger regional approach to disaster resilience, as they step up effort to tackle the increasingly ‘trans-boundary’ nature of disaster risk.

With only 40 days to go before the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, the officials said such inclusive partnership was crucial to future efforts to strengthen disaster resilience in an increasingly complex and interlinked world.

Every year, the spring floods by Central Asia’s two largest rivers – the Amu-Darya and Syr- Darya -- cause enormous damage to the economies of the region. Earthquakes threaten vast areas straddling the intricate borders between the countries in the region. Yet another example of a potential trans-boundary hazard is Lake Sarez in Tajikistan. If the natural dam holding the lake broke, up to five million people in Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan could be affected. These and other hazards and potential disasters can only be addressed through concerted and consistent efforts of all stakeholders.

On 29-30 January, the Minister of Emergency Situations of Kyrgyz Republic, Mr. Kubatbek Boronov, welcomed delegations to the Central Asia and South Caucasus Regional Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Risk Reduction by underlining the importance of regional cooperation and sharing of experience on risk reduction. “It cannot be underestimated,” he said.

The assembled Ministers and Heads of Disaster Management Authorities took heed and urged global policymakers to make sure inclusive, cross-border partnerships are a key element of the post-2015 framework, due to be adopted at next month’s World Conference in Sendai, Japan.

Delegates from Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan committed to implement the post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction “in collaboration with national and local authorities, private sector, international and non-government organizations, and other stakeholders”.

The meeting also endorsed a Regional Framework of Cooperation and Plan of Action, indicating a firm regional resolve to building risk resilience, development solutions for risk prevention and risk reduction, and multi stakeholder engagement.

In a statement issued at the end of the meeting, the participating countries underlined that they confirmed their “commitment to the promotion of a coordinated and mutually-supporting approach in the post-2015 Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the sustainable development goals and the climate change agreements, and call for consolidation of efforts of all stakeholders in strengthening regional cooperation in disaster risk reduction, the development and improvement of a favorable legislative environment regulating bilateral and multilateral aspects of regional cooperation in disaster risk reduction.”

The mood of optimism and collaboration among the officials was strong at the end of the meeting. The Director of Emergency Management Agency of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia, Mr. Zviad Katsashvili, expressed his readiness for strengthened regional cooperation.

The Chairman of the Committee on Emergency Situations and Civil Defense of the Government of Tajikistan, Mr. Hayriddin Abdurahimov, echoed the sentiment: “It is important to continue on the implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action. I am very happy that Central Asia and the South Caucusus countries have developed a platform for cooperation to discuss the post-2015 period.”

The Head of the Committee for Emergency Situations of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Kazakhstan, Mr. Valeriy Petrov: “During these two days we made new steps towards ensuring the security and safety of our citizens.”

The region’s ministers and disaster managers will meet again in Sendai. “We are ready to take forward the results of this meeting and share with other participants and countries,” Mr. Boronov said.

Central Asia and the Caucasus are exposed to a range of natural and technological hazards such as earthquakes, landslides, mud and debris flows, avalanches, floods, drought and extreme temperatures inflicting serious human and economic losses.

Rapid urbanization and climate change have exacerbated exposure to disaster risk. Between 1980 and 2010, 131 major disaster events affected 14 million people in the region and caused economic losses of $3.8 billion.

The Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Kyrgyz Republic, UNISDR’s Regional office for Central Asia and South Caucasus, and the United Nations Development Programme Kyrgyzstan co-organized the event.