DUSHANBE, December 4, Asia-Plus  -- President Emomali Rahmon yesterday met with Mr. Salvano Briceno, Director ISDR (UN/International Strategy for Disaster Reduction) Secretariat, in Beppu, Japan, on sidelines of the First Asia-Pacific Water Summit, presidential press service said.   

During the meeting, President Rahmon appreciated ISDR’s support for a number of important projects aimed at reducing disaster risk in Tajikistan.  

Mr. Briceno, for his part, noted that President Rahmon’s initiatives stated at the Water Summit were important and timely.  According to him, the UN will consider them.

In the course of the talks the two also exchanged views on prospects of further expansion of cooperation between Tajikistan and ISDR in reducing disaster risks.  It was noted that Tajikistan had enough material-and-technical basis and skilled personnel but it was experiencing shortage of financial and technological resources to implement the disaster risk reduction projects on its own.   

The two also discussed issues related to the possibility of use of Tajik water and energy resources and waters of the Lake Sarez.   

The ISDR aims at building disaster resilient communities by promoting increased awareness of the importance of disaster reduction as an integral component of sustainable development, with the goal of reducing human, social, economic and environmental losses due to natural hazards and related technological and environmental disasters.

Recognizing that natural hazards can threaten any one of us, the ISDR builds on partnerships and takes a global approach to disaster reduction, seeking to involve every individual and every community towards the goals of reducing the loss of lives, the socio-economic setbacks and the environmental damages caused by natural hazards. In order to achieve these goals, the ISDR promotes four objectives as tools towards reaching disaster reduction for all: increase public awareness to understand risk, vulnerability and disaster reduction globally; obtain commitment from public authorities to implement disaster reduction policies and actions; stimulate interdisciplinary and intersectoral partnerships, including the expansion of risk reduction networks; and improve scientific knowledge about disaster reduction.