Khorog, June 28, 2019 – Tourism sector operators have been tasked to develop together with governmental bodies a disaster plans to provide security and safety for tourists in cases of emergency. The action has been agreed upon at the UNDP workshop in Khorog designed to strengthen cooperation between the Committee of Emergency Situations and Civil Defense (COES) and private entrepreneurs in Tajikistan.

The workshop is a part of a series of events, including other similar workshops and coordination meetings, aimed to increase resilience to natural phenomena through strengthening the capacity of local entrepreneurs, including but not limited to tourism operators.

High level of local entrepreneurs’ preparedness is crucial to build resilience in the disaster-prone areas of Tajikistan as entrepreneurs often happen to be the first front of goods provision for the local population as disasters hit.

UNDP is working with COES, the Committee of Tourism Development and the Chamber of Commerce to build a platform to discuss and find effective solutions for these needs together with entrepreneurs.

UNDP plans to cover all regions of the country to maximize the cooperation in all areas susceptible to natural phenomena. Earlier workshops on private sector disasters risk management and planning have been held in Dushanbe, Khujand, Bokhtar, and Kulyab. In GBAO two workshops were held on the same day to address improvements in disaster risk management as well as better ensuring tourist safetely. Deputy Chairman of GBAO, Mr. Umedjon Nosirzoda participated in both events.

GBAO is among the regions with highest probability of natural disasters, including earthquakes and floods, as was the case in 2015. The mere existence of Sarez Lake, formed a century ago by a massive landslide, is a clear reminder of the dramatic nature of the environment in eastern Tajikistan.

The workshops were organized by the United Nations Development Program in partnership with the Committee of Emergency Situations and Civil Defence of the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan,the Committee of Tourism Development of the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan and with the Chamber of Commerce of the Republic of Tajikistan, with a financial support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.

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