Description

Considering the importance of integrating disaster risks into development planning processes, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) of Tajikistan launched a project on “Strengthening Disaster Risk Reduction and Response Capacities” to support the Government of Tajikistan in undertaking a nation-wide risk assessment. Under this project, the Geoinformatics Center of the Asian Institute of Technology (GIC-AIT) and the Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation of the University of Twente (ITC-UT) of the Netherlands, implemented a multi-hazard risk assessment for all districts in Tajikistan. This assignment covered six major hazards that are prevalent in Tajikistan (mudflows, earthquakes, landslides, snow avalanches, droughts, and windstorms) and four types of elements-at-risk (buildings, population, agriculture and roads). The following three tasks were carried out in this project: 1) Disaster Risk Assessment Methodology, 2) Capacity Building of Local Experts, and 3) Disaster Risk Information System. An interactive web-GIS portal was developed using open source geospatial software and technologies, sequential modules, and user-friendly interface. The platform allows multiple users to combine different types of information and visualize information such as: hazard maps of different hazard types; elements at risk information; exposure maps; loss maps and maps of multi-hazard risk. It also facilitated the users to generate reports on hazard, exposure and risk profiles for a specific district. This system is the first of its kind in Tajikistan and the region. It can be used to prioritize districts with respect to risk reduction planning.

Objectives and Methodology

The aim of this reserach is to incorporate socio-economic indicators in the Tajirisk platform , and generate a holistic risk index which is composed of the outcomes of the multi-hazard risk assessment in terms of the exposure and losses of people, houses, agricultural area and roads for the different hazards, combined with indicators that are obtained through the Jambi database on demography, education and culture, economy, land and agriculture, social sector, and infrastructure and Governance. This data base can be the basis for a comprehensive holistic vulnerability assessment at sub-district level. The aim is to apply the method developed in the INFORM Risk context. The INFORM Risk Index is a global, open-source risk assessment for humanitarian crises and disasters. It can support decisions about prevention, preparedness and response.

Further reading

https://drmkc.jrc.ec.europa.eu/inform-index/INFORM-Risk/Methodology