DUSHANBE, July 7, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- On July 9-11, Dushanbe will host experts and government representatives from Central Asian and other countries of the region for disaster risk reduction conference.

Organized by the Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan and the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction Secretariat for Central Asia (UNISDR), the Regional Conference on Seismic Risk Reduction is dedicated to the 60th anniversary of Hoit earthquake.

According to the UNSDR, the goal of the conference is to discuss the existing problems in the field of seismic risk reduction in the Central Asian region and propose concrete steps to address them based on the existing best practices and wide cooperation between national, regional, and international organizations.

“The conference will discuss successful experiences as well as existing problems in the sphere of seismic risk and seismic danger. It will also discuss proposals on how to improve regional cooperation and the role of state institutions responsible for disaster management in the sphere of seismic safety. To this effect, the conference will develop a “road map” representing a list of proposed projects/programs/initiatives for the coming few years within a tentative timeframe.” said Mahmadsho Ilolov, the President of the Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan.

It is anticipated that the conference will be attended by national government representatives from the Central Asian countries, leading experts and representatives from the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) as well as international organizations such as International Commission for High Dams (IGOLD), UNDP, OCHA, other UN agencies, international and local NGO’s active in this field.

“A special session on regional coordination chaired by the GTZ will bring together representatives of Ministries/Committee for Emergency Situations,” added Goulsara Pulatova, Senior Advisor of the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction Secretariat office for Central Asia.

The funding to conduct the conference was allocated by the European Commission Directorate General for Humanitarian Aid (DG ECHO), Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ), Netherlands Red Cross and Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).

The conference organizing committee consists of the following partner organizations: Academy of Sciences of RT; United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction Secretariat for Central Asia; State Committee for Emergencies and Civil Defense under the Government of Tajikistan; Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology under the Academy of Sciences of RT; and NGO “PMP International.”