Tajik and Uzbek researchers have reportedly agreed to jointly work on forecasting earthquakes.

The Institute of Geology, Seismology and Earthquake-Resistant Construction of the National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan and the Institute of Seismology of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan have concluded an agreement on improving the efficiency of scientific researches in the field of seismic hazard and seismic risk assessment, the press center of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan says. 

Under this agreement, researchers of the two countries will exchange methodological developments and geological-geophysical and seismological information in the field of earthquake forecasting and seismic zoning.  

The document also provides for jointly surveying modern geodynamics and seismicity, stress-strain state of platform and orogenic areas of Central Asia.  

Central Asia is a region vulnerable to many natural hazards, of which earthquakes are one of the most catastrophic ones.  Historically, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan have been devastated by a number of earthquakes that caused huge economic and human losses.  In Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, earthquake hazard is classified as high.