• 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 engaged 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 supported 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 Adopted and Disseminated Basic Disaster Awareness Public Education Curriculum Materials. These included the two-sided Family Disaster Plan and Organizational Disaster Plan worksheets, Basic Disaster Awareness handbook, slide presentation, instructor manual and CD-Rom. The program reached 50% of school children in Almaty and similar numbers in Tashkent and Dushanbe. Earthquake disaster plan messages proved to be applicable for all hazards preparedness.

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

• Baseline Urban Risk Reduction Reports Reports examined norms, urgency of tasks, current levels of achievement, strengths, weaknesses, responsible agencies, applicable laws and current strategies. The reports addressed 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 stimulated and dove-tailed with, but did not infringe upon, policy-level (macro-) initiatives of national governments.

• Regional Workgroups 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 were designed to stimulate consumer demand for disaster-resistant housing. Ministries of Education and Health participated in the development of Handbooks on School Disaster Preparedness and Hospital Disaster Preparedness and received continued assistance in disaster mitigation training programs for managers.

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

• Leadership Training was 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 became confident champions of community disaster mitigation. Ongoing support from Bogaziçi University, Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute's Disaster Preparedness Education Program strengthened this effort.