Roundtable for International Day for Disaster Reduction

Background:

Tajikistan’s National Disaster Risk Management Strategy and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction call attention to the need to integrate disaster risk reduction into the development process. Research has made it clear that it is better to prevent disasters than provide assistance once they have occurred. It is also clear that investment in risk reduction is cost effective and necessary on the grounds of policy as well as promoting sustainable development in line with the new Sustainable Development Goals.

The round table was organized to bring together disaster managers, development leaders and practitioners to present their perspectives on the DRR integration challenges as well as facilitate an exchange of knowledge and experience as well as raise awareness about the importance of Disaster Risk Reduction.

During the roundtable following topics were discussed: Sendai Framework’s focus on DRR integration, Challenges and opportunities with integrating DRR into the development process, the donor perspective on DRR integration, Implementation of DRR integration under the current Tajik National Disaster Risk Management Strategy and the new National Development Strategy for Tajikistan and new National Disaster Risk Management concept. It was concluded that Government should take an active part in building disaster resilient communities.

The roundtable covered:

• The Sendai Framework’s focus on DRR integration, by Abdurahim Uhidov, Program Officer, UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, Central Asia & South Caucasus.
• Challenges and opportunities with integrating DRR into the development process by Firdavs Faizulloev, Disaster Risk Management Programme Manager, UNDP Tajikistan.
• The donor perspective on DRR integration, Regina Gujan, Swiss Cooperation in Tajikistan
• Implementation of DRR integration under the current Tajik National Disaster Risk Management Strategy, by Col. Jamshed Kamolov, National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction Secretariat, Committee of Emergency Situations and Civil Defense, Government of Tajikistan.
• DRR integration under the Tajik NDRMS, the new National Development Strategy for Tajikistan and the new National Disaster Risk Management concept, by C. Kelly, DRR and Recovery Advisor, Disaster Risk Management Programme, UNDP Tajikistan

The discussions highlighted following points:

• Tajikistan is affected by many small-scale disasters which have the umulative effects of a large disaster.
• Disaster Risk Reduction is well established in policy but not in practice.
• Some donors, such as SDC, integrate DRR into their development portfolio but it is not clear whether all donors do this.
• There are a number of avenues for Disaster Risk Reduction but the mechanism for choosing the best approaches is not yet clear.
• Experiences from other countries, such as Pakistan, could be very valuable to Tajikistan because of geographical and cultural similarities.
• Communities should play a central role in discussions and actions in reducing disaster risk.
• Gender and age should be incorporated through efforts to reduce disaster risk.
• While the policy for integrating DRR into development is generally accepted, work remains to define mechanisms, which are most appropriate for Tajikistan to reduce disaster risk.