The Spatial Data Infrastructure Centre is the first of its kind in Tajikistan, and funding for this innovative initiative was generously provided by Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Aga Khan Foundation United Kingdom (AKF UK), and European Union Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO). The Centre has been created under a partnership between the Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH)/Focus Humanitarian Assistance (FOCUS) and the Head Department of Geology.
Speaking at the Open Ceremony, the Director of The Head Department of Geology, Mr Zarobiddin Faizullozoda, praised the “successful framework of collaboration between the Aga Khan Development Network and the Head Department of Geology,” noting that the partnership had brought technical expertise to work alongside the government of Tajikistan to evaluate risks and map the hazards facing Tajikistan.
The Open Centre will act as a collaborative working tool which will allow stakeholders to share hazard risk catalogues, and hazard assessments which have been conducted by organisations working on hazard mapping across Tajikistan, as well as an information repository, storing this data for future generations.
The Country Director of the Swiss Cooperation Office in Tajikistan (SDC), Walburga Roos, noted that Switzerland and Tajikistan share similar risk profiles due to their mountain landscapes. Switzerland has been very active in promoting an integrated approach to disaster risk reduction, and the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR), of which Tajikistan is a signatory. The Spatial Data Infrastructure Centre will contribute greatly to the first point of the Sendai Framework, assessing and understanding the risks posed by natural hazards.
The Spatial Data Infrastructure Centre will greatly contribute to the work being done on hazard mapping, building community and government capacity to cope with natural disasters and disaster risk reduction in Tajikistan, and will act as a resource and tool for sharing data, knowledge and technical expertise.
Notes:
The Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH)
The European Commission Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Department (ECHO)
For further information, please contact:
Malika Giles
