• Delhi
• Tibetan Community in Dharamsala
• Pakistan
• Tsunami

• Kathmandu (NSET)

• Central Asia
• Central Asia and Caucasus Region
• GESI
• Gujarat
• Quito Retrofit Schools
• Quito Risk Management
• RADIUS

A 3-year (2002-2005) project funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development to promote community-based hazard reduction and disaster mitigation efforts in Almaty, Kazakhstan; Dushanbe, Tajikistan; and Tashkent, Uzbekistan. GHI is engaging a broad base of stakeholders to identify resources and vulnerabilities and to promote collaborative strategies to tackle complex urban issues related to hazard reduction and natural disaster preparation and mitigation, one step at a time. GHI is supporting local NGOs in the development and dissemination of high quality educational programs and materials for community-based disaster mitigation including basic disaster awareness, non-structural mitigation, and seismic-resistant adobe and masonry construction.

Project Objectives

• Raise the awareness of residents, non-governmental organizations, public agencies and businesses of Almaty, Dushanbe and Tashkent about their high risk from earthquakes and their options to mitigate that risk.

• Train residents, non-governmental organizations, public agencies and business of these cities in risk mitigation.

• Reach out to support and promote disaster mitigation activities throughout the region.

Project Impacts

• Key Institutional Partners are Adopting and Disseminating Basic Disaster Awareness Public Education Curriculum Materials. These include the two-sided Family Disaster Plan and Organizational Disaster Plan worksheets, Basic Disaster Awareness handbook, slide presentation, instructor manual and CD-Rom. The program has reached 50% of school children in Almaty and will soon reach similar numbers in Tashkent and Dushanbe. Earthquake disaster plan messages have proven applicable for all hazards preparedness.

• First Annual Citywide Earthquake Safety Initiative Symposia have brought together a wide spectrum of stakeholders to share information and prioritize urgent needs. Follow-up task groups are pursuing creative and cooperative initiatives that promote participatory decision-making and provide a meaningful and substantive democracy and governance experience.

• Baseline Urban Risk Reduction Reports examine norms, urgency of tasks, current levels of achievement, strengths, weaknesses, responsible agencies, applicable laws and current strategies. The reports address family (micro-) and organizational (meso-) level mitigation strategies in three areas: 1) assessment and planning, 2) physical risk protection and 3) response capacity development. The reports and symposia have stimulated and dove-tailed with, but not infringed upon, policy-level (macro-) initiatives of national governments.

• Regional Workgroups have developed and adapted Public Education and Instructor-Training Materials (in Russian) on Basic Disaster Awareness, Non-Structural Mitigation, Structural Awareness for Seismic Safety, Community Disaster Volunteers and Business Continuity Planning. Brochures and posters on Seismic-Resistant Adobe Construction and Seismic-Resistant Masonry Construction have been designed to stimulate consumer demand for disaster-resistant housing. Ministries of Education and Health have participated in the development of Handbooks on School Disaster Preparedness and Hospital Disaster Preparedness and are now eager to receive continued assistance in disaster mitigation training programs for managers.

• Community Disaster Volunteer Curriculum Being Considered for Adoption in Three Countries. Leaders from four countries (including Kyrgyzstan) selected for instructor training are now eagerly promoting adoption and approval of the curriculum by their Ministries of Emergency Situations and educational institutions.

• Leadership Training is being provided to select faculty members in environmental and occupational safety, leaders in civil protection, condominium management, neighborhood and Red Crescent Society training centers as well as non-governmental organization staff. These individuals tasked with training the next generation and advising governments on adoption of compulsory programs for students and workers are now confident champions of community disaster mitigation. Ongoing support from Bogaziçi University, Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute's Disaster Preparedness Education Program has strengthened this effort.

• Web-based Infrastructure for Regional Workgroups. GeoHazards International maintains a cyber-community/website for regional workgroups to share working documents and discuss issues of common concern.