Conference

`Disaster Preparedness: A RegionalChallenge'; Tashkent, Uzbekistan,24^26 June 1996.

The conference took the overall theme: how toimprove co-operation in the field of disasterpreparedness between governments and NGOsin the five central Asian republics. Discussiontopics included: main disaster risks,vulnerabilities and capacities in the region,preparedness for major disasters that requireinternational assistance, national disasterpreparedness: changed risks and neworientation and disaster preparedness at thelocal level.

The conference brought together govern-ment representatives from the national disasterpreparedness ministries/committees ofKazakhstan, Kyrghyzstan, Tajikistan,Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The non-governmental sector of these countries wasrepresented by the national Red Cross/RedCrescent Societies which, for the time being,are the only non-governmental humanitarianorganisations with disaster preparednessactivities and a local network. United Nationsagencies, other international organisations andresearch institutions were also present at theconference. The conference was organised bythe International Federation of Red Cross andRed Crescent Societies and made possiblethrough ECHO funding and contributions fromIDNDR Germany and the German Red Cross.

The newly independent states of centralAsia are going through a difficult political andeconomic transformation process. Change isalso affecting governmental disaster prepared-ness. Disaster preparedness institutions haveredefined the main risks by switching from anuclear war scenario to one of natural andtechnological disasters. In most countries thisbrings with it a restructuring process. Civildefence becomes the main implementing bodyof disaster preparedness and is being

integrated into newly established ministriesand committees of emergencies. Traditionally,civil defence used to mobilise the populationby involving them in disaster preparednessactivities at the work place. Due to economicchange and resulting adverse socio-economicconsequences, this has become hard to sustain.New and more cost-effective ways ofpreparing for disasters have to be explored.With regard to this, the conference examinedthe role non-governmental and locally basedorganisations could play in strengtheningdisaster preparedness capacities.

Presentations made by government repre-sentatives during the conference reaffirmedthat the countries of central Asia sharecommon risks and vulnerabilities and havetraditionally co-operated in the field ofdisaster preparedness. The region expects amajor earthquake in the next 5–8 years whichis very likely to affect one of the major citiesor densely populated areas. Consequently,national disaster planning is devotingconsiderable attention to preparedness formajor earthquakes. The most frequentdisasters in central Asia are smaller, localisedevents such as floods, mud- and landslides andminor earthquakes. Technological andecological disasters constitute a threat thattranscends boundaries. The material andphysical capacities of both organisations andcommunities to cope with similar crises havedeteriorated over the transition period.

The conference examined disasterpreparedness in the region from four differentangles: international, regional, national andlocal. A lead presentation on the Armenianearthquake and lessons learnt highlighted therelationship between preparedness on thenational level and the management of theinternational response. International responsecan only be effective if facilitated by nationalpreparations for a quick and accurate flow ofinformation and for the best possible co-

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ßOverseas Development Institute, 1997.Published by Blackwell Publishers, Oxford OX4 1JF, UK and 238Main Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.

ordinationof temporarystorageandtransportof relief goodsto the affectedareas.This canbeespeciallycritical in a disasterthatinvolvesmassiveassistance.To be effective in life-saving,search-and-rescuegroupsmust arrivewithin 48 hoursof a disaster.This limits theefficiency of international and sometimeseven national (if the disastersite is in anisolatedareaor if infrastructureis disrupted)search-and-rescuegroups.

The national disaster preparednesswasintroducedby a presentationon the Germandisaster preparednesssystem which hasshifted its focus from major to small-scaleandlocaliseddisasters,decentralisedplanningand resourcesand made an effort to createself-help capacities within the population.This presentationcreated lively discussionson the needto integratedisasterpreparednesswith services that address commonemergencies. Discussion on local-levelpreparednesswas led by a presentationonlocal-level responseto the massiveinflux ofrefugees into the Federal Republic ofYugoslaviaafter the eventsin the Krajina in1995. This presentation focused on theimportanceof local-level disasterplans andtherole of volunteersin disasterpreparedness.

Basedonthediscussionsandvariousgroupactivitiestheconferenceidentified theneedtohave decentralised disaster preparednesscapacities‘on thespot’ in casedisasterstrikes.It recommendedthat local-level preparednessmust be given special attention in high-riskareas.Both in major andsmall-scaledisastersthe first responseis always provided by the

local community. Central government andinternationalassistancewill arrive afterwards.Local non-governmentalorganisationssuchastheRedCrescentwhich dealwith people(andespecially the most vulnerable) on a dailybasisarein a specialpositionto assistwith thecreation of self-help capacities.These willallow peopleto prevent,preparefor andcopewith disasters.Trainingpeoplein first aid candevelop such skills on the local levelespeciallyif integratedwith information andeducationabout disasterslikely to affect thecommunity. Other activities for local-levelorganisationsidentified were:basicrelief andpsychologicalsupportto disastervictims andencouragingpublic awarenessin high-riskareas.It wasrecommendedthat organisationssuchas the Red Crescentare includedin thelocal disasterco-ordinatingbodyandthattheirrole is definedin local disasterplans.

National governmentswere requestedtocreate the necessary legal provisions forNGOs and Red Crescent Societies toparticipate in disaster preparednessand tosupport them materially and financially.Finally, the conferencedrew up a list ofrecommendationswhich arebeingacteduponby the Red Crescent Societies and theirrespectivegovernmentpartnersfor action atnationallevels.

Alexandra GalperinDisaster Preparedness Department, IFRCCase Postale 372CH-1211Geneva 19

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