A $30 million grant has been awarded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to support Tajikistan’s disaster risk reduction efforts and lessen economic losses brought on by natural catastrophes and climate change, a press release states.
According to ADB Director General for Central and West Asia Yevgeniy Zhukov, Tajikistan is extremely vulnerable to climate change and experiences more than 400 climate-related incidents annually, including floods and avalanches, which have a significant negative impact on both the population and the economy.
Zhukov stated that the ADB financing will improve the nation’s catastrophe preparedness and response capacity while bolstering its overall resilience to climate change.
The initiative complements a $10 million grant that has been underway and was approved by the bank in 2018 to help the government of Tajikistan integrate disaster risk management into development planning. It will improve the ability of the project’s executing agency, the Committee of Emergency Situations and Civil Defense, to handle natural calamities. The grant will also create a new early warning system and enhance weather and disaster forecasting technologies.
According to ADB Natural Resources and Agriculture Economist Matthias Leitner, natural disasters impair livelihoods and force people to leave their homes. He said that the ADB project will aid in the development of disaster-resistant housing, increase the ability of regional communities and authorities, and enhance disaster response infrastructure in the Khatlon area.
The climate-resilient catastrophe accommodation will offer amenities for women, children, and individuals with disabilities, as well as a steady supply of energy and water. The project will also upgrade the access roads, a bridge, the power transmission lines, the health care facilities, and the schools in the close-by villages. To increase their earnings and community resilience, local communities and displaced persons will get skills training in areas such as agricultural innovation, crop production, and negotiation techniques.
ADB has given Tajikistan more than $2.5 billion in support since the nation joined the organization in 1998, including over $1.9 billion in grants. Three strategic priorities are highlighted in the ADB’s country partnership strategy for Tajikistan for the years 2021–2025: structural reforms to improve resource allocation and mobilization, increasing labor productivity through the development of human capital, and promoting better livelihoods through investments in the land-linked economy.
While continuing its efforts to end extreme poverty, ADB is dedicated to establishing a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific. It was founded in 1966 and is owned by 68 members, 49 of them are locals.
