Bathymetric assessment jointly with Moscow State University specialists
News Desk
AKAH partners with Tajik academy of sciences for facilitating disaster forecasting conference
Dushanbe, Tajikistan: An international conference on best practices on forecasting disaster, risk management and mitigation will take place in Dushanbe this year.
The sixth in a series of conferences, titled: “Debris Flow: Disasters, Risk, Forecast and Protection” will take place in Tajikistan from September 21 to 27 this year, according to a press release posted on The Aga Khan Development Network website.
The Agency for Habitat (AKAH), a subsidiary of the AKDN has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Academy of Science of Tajikistan to facilitate the event.
It will enable national and international scientists and practitioners to share their best expertise and knowledge on ways of studying, assessing and preventing the natural hazards that are causing such a severe impact on the social and economic well-being of people around the globe.
The climate warming issues that started in the last century, continue today and will possibly increase in the near future, are causing an increase in the occurrence of natural hazards, which take a toll on community livelihoods and their habitats, especially in mountainous areas. Snow cover in many mountains is decreasing, affecting runoff, seasonal filling of reservoirs, and aquatic ecosystems.
New, unstable natural lakes are forming as a result of glaciers melting in upstream areas (at the margins of glaciers), threatening communities living in the downstream areas with catastrophic flooding.
Tajikistan, as a host country of this important event, is expecting about 150-200 people at the conference.
President of the Academy of Science, Rahimi Farhod Qodir, and the Chief Executive Officer of AKAH in Tajikistan, Hadi Husani, agreed on modalities and tasks, roles and responsibilities, in preparation of this important event for the country.
The AKAH focuses on preparing for both sudden and slow-onset disasters. It works to ensure that poor people live in physical settings that are as safe as possible from the effects of natural disasters; that residents who do live in high-risk areas are able to cope with disasters in terms of preparedness and response; and that these settings provide access to social and financial services that lead to greater opportunity and a better quality of life.