The event focused on disaster risk management and preparedness efforts in Central Asia and promoted innovative approaches in enhancing disaster resilience. Representatives of Central Asian states, international development organizations, and researchers shared their experiences in making the region more resilient and prepared for the next disaster.

In addition, participants discussed the results and potential applications of the new regional risk assessment for Central Asia, produced by the SFRARR program. Moreover, delegates examined efforts to enhance regional cooperation on disaster risk reduction and advance financial resilience to disasters.

“Climate change has an increasingly visible toll on countries worldwide. […] The challenge at hand requires a shift in approach from reactive emergency response to managing disaster risks more proactively. Investments in critical infrastructure and effective civil protection systems are needed to preserve lives and livelihoods and ensure a resilient society”, noted Gaetano Vivo, Deputy Head of Unit on Prevention and Preparedness Capacity Building, Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO) of the European Commission.

National representatives from the Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan shared their views in advancing regional cooperation, as well as enhancing financial resilience for disasters in their respective countries.

“Risk insurance plays a key role in providing financial protection to people and businesses, affected by disasters, and lowers burden on public budget.” said Marat Pirnazarov, Chairman of the Service for Regulation and Supervision of the Financial Market under the Ministry of Economy and Commerce of the Kyrgyz Republic.

Central Asia is highly vulnerable to natural hazards with the annual average GDP affected by floods and earthquakes comprising nearly US$9 billion. Climate change is going to exacerbate the frequency and severity of climate-related disasters, with economic damages from floods and droughts expected to rise to 1.3% of GDP per annum, potentially leading to around 5.1 million internal migrants.

In response to these mounting challenges, in 2019 the EU has partnered with the World Bank and Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) to support Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan in enhancing their disaster resilience.

Over the last five years, the SFRARR Central Asia program has carried out numerous capacity-building workshops to equip national government officials with the latest tools and knowledge to manage disaster risks in a more effective way. To ensure a homogeneous approach to reducing disaster risks in the region, the Program has produced a regionally consistent multi-hazard risk assessment as well as individual country summaries with policy recommendations. In addition, it has provided hands-on technical assistance to interested countries to strengthen their social protection systems, explore complementary insurance mechanisms, and generally enhance the financial preparedness of national governments with the aim to protect people from financial losses associated with natural hazards.