Central Asia approves plan to protect against mudflows and floods

Heads of emergency agencies from five Central Asian countries have approved a regional roadmap to reduce the effects of transboundary mudflows and floods, and a concept for making cities more resilient to disasters and climate change until 2030. The documents were adopted at a Regional Forum held on 19-20 October in Tashkent, where the main practical outcome was the signing of the forum's protocol, according to GIZ.

Delegates also supported a Tajik initiative to hold training courses, drills and competitions for rescuers at the republican training centre of Tajikistan's Committee for Emergency Situations and Civil Defence. A proposal to give the centre the status of a base training organisation for Central Asian rescuers will be considered in 2027.

At a plenary session on 20 October, GIZ's Managing Climate Risks in Central Asia programme presented its results in Uzbekistan. Climate risk assessments have been carried out in the Isfayramsay, Shakhimardan and Zarafshan river basins, and 700 years of meteorological, hydrological and agrometeorological data have been digitised for Uzhydromet.