, June 30, Asia-Plus - An international three-day conference formally titled “Reduction of Disaster Risks” is ending in Tajik capital today.  On the sidelines of the conference, the third general exercise for community disaster response teams is being held in the Almosi jamoat of the Hissor district today, according to information from the Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES).   

The MES source says the main objective of the exercise is in facilitating development and strengthening of cooperation between community disaster response teams, coordination of activities of these teams and professional organizations.  The community disaster response teams are supposed to strengthen local response capacities through volunteer mobilization, organization, equipment and training.   

The exercise is planned to involve some 500 people, including the MES rescuers, officers from emergencies and police directorates of Shahrinav, Hissor and Tursunzoda districts, as well as volunteers of Tajikistan National Red Crescent Society (NRCS), aircraft and fire-engines. 

The exercise scenario is based on a fire caused by disaster.  Participants in the exercise are practicing carrying out of search-and-rescue operations and evacuation of the population from the disaster zone.  

The exercise is staged by Austrian international NGO “Hilfswerk Austria ” jointly with Tajikistan ’s NRCS, Tajik firefighting service and local authorities of Hissor, Shahrinav and Tursunzoda.  

The international conference on reduction of disaster risks will continue its work in Dushanbe today afternoon and it is supposed to result in adoption of recommendations. The conference participants include representatives from emergency management agencies of Tajikistan , Central Asia and Russia , as well as representatives from diplomatic missions, international organizations and NGOs.   

We will recall that the conference was staged by MES under support of international organizations of OXFAM, FOCUS, ECHO and UN Natural Disaster Management Support Project within the framework of the implementation of the Hyogo Declaration.  A world five-day conference on disaster reduction was held in Kobe City of Japan ’s Hyogo Prefecture on January 18-22, 2005 .  Delegates from around the world in the Japanese city of Kobe agreed on the need to build early warning systems and make disaster preparation a priority.  The Hyogo Declaration, in particular, says it is vital to give high priority to disaster risk reduction in national policy, consistent with governments'' capacities and resources available.