APPROACH
The Swiss water sector program emphasizes support to institutional development, capacity building and human resource development, linked with infrastructure investments, promotion of regional partnerships and donor coordination. The Swiss water sector program promotes integrated water resource management across all institutional levels, according to the principles of accountability and subsidiary responsibility.
The Swiss strategy combines support to sector policy formulation as well as field level intervention. Fostering collaboration and alignment with other donors, Switzerland focuses on irrigation water management, land and water productivity, rural and urban water supply and sanitation, dam safety, and related information and data management.
DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
Regional projects include trans-boundary programs on water use, such as Integrated Water Resources Management, strengthening the Hydro-meteorological Services in the Aral Sea Basin, Canal Automation the Central Asian Regional Water Information Base projects for better real time water management and decision making. Furthermore, judicial agricultural water use is promoted through projects on water metering and water productivity improvement. Projects on rural water supply are being implemented in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan and urban water supply projects in all three countries.
CROSSCUTTING ISSUES
"Gender" and "Governance" are treated as transversal issues for all water sector activities. Reliability, transparent and equitable access to water have a lot to do with broad public participation and governance and thus gender, both being promoted among actors and partners.
DISASTER RISK REDUCTION
ANALYSIS OF THE SITUATION
Central Asia, not least due to the impact of global warming, is prone to rapid and slow onset disasters caused by floods, landslides, mudflows and droughts, as well as to earthquakes. Their effect on the national economies as well as on individual households and livelihoods can be severe. The awareness of and the preparedness for disasters, however, are only marginally developed, despite the prevailing risks and the increase in incidences.
A shift from response towards prevention, preparedness and mitigation is thus required. While the dramatic increase of economic damage has somewhat boosted risk and disaster management issues on political agendas in Central Asia, disaster prevention and preparedness (DPP) is still not well-institutionalized or is based on outdated approaches. Efforts are being made in disaster response/preparedness at national levels. Not much has been done yet in disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness at local levels as well.
COOPERATION GOALS
The Swiss government has been assisting Central Asian Republics in their disaster reduction efforts since 2003 within the frames of the Regional Disaster Reduction Programme. . Disaster reduction became one of the five main domains of cooperation for the Swiss development program in the region for 2007-2011.
The Swiss program focuses on increasing awareness and strengthening capacities for prevention and mitigation of natural disasters, while promoting sustainable gender and poverty sensitive development approaches to disaster reduction. The overall goal of Swiss assistance in disaster reduction in Central Asia is to ensure safe and sustainable livelihoods by minimizing the effects of natural disasters through the appropriate use of natural resources.
The main focus is to raise overall awareness on disaster reduction in the region, to increase risk/disaster management capacities, to foster collaboration between agencies working in the field of prevention with those working in response, and to include disaster reduction aspects in development efforts.
APPROACH
Disaster reduction activities are based on an integrated approach, taking into consideration the prevailing risks and promoting the application of existing local knowledge, networks and partnerships. There is a strong focus on the link between disaster reduction and development issues.
DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
<>Awareness Building Project on Integrated Local Risk Management has been supported in Tajikistan since 2004. In 2006-2010 its successful experience is being replicated in Kyrgyzstan, using innovative learning tools and awareness raising workshops in disaster prone villages.
The main objective of the project “Enhancing Coordination for Disaster Response in the Kyrgyz Republic” is to strengthen cooperation and coordination for disaster response between the Government, the UN Country Team, Red Cross & Red Crescent Movements and other major actors in this field and to be able to respond adequately and effectively to possible emergency situations.
The project "Awareness and Capacity Building on Integrated Local Risk Management" uses innovative Learning for Sustainability approach developed by the Centre for Development and Environment at the University of Bern as a participatory and pedagogical tool for organization of workshops in Kyrgyz villages prone to natural disasters.
In Tajikistan the program encompasses assistance to: major actors and stakeholders in the field including Donor Coordination in the Disaster Reduction Sector, the Committee on Emergency Situations and many other government and non- governmental organizations.
Capacity Building to the Committee of Emergency Situations in TJ (impl. by UNDP): The project is aimed at reducing disaster risk level in Tajikistan through improvement of disaster risk management, planning and coordination capacity.
Tajik Earthquake Safety Initiative (impl. by FOCUS):
The project aims at building the disaster resiliency capacity of key institutional stakeholders of Tajikistan.
Natural Disaster Risk Management in Muminabad (impl. by CARITAS Switzerland):
The overall goal of the project is to reduce the natural hazard risks in inhabited areas through introduction of an integrated disaster risk management in the Muminabad district by increasing the coping capacity of local government, civil society organisations and the population at large and thus leading to an improved and sustainable safety situation.
Integrated Local Risk Management (impl. by CAMP Kuhiston, CARITAS CH, UNDP, Oxfam GB): The project overall aim is to ensure that local risk management capacity focused at the local level in rural areas of Tajikistan is built and strengthened.
Remote Geo-Hazards Capacity Building and Monitoring (impl. by Focus Humanitarian Assistance): Reducing disaster risk in Tajikistan through strengthened capacity of the national institutions to monitor and respond to remote hazards and improved disaster resilience of the communities at risk.
Support to the National Emergency Response Capacity in TJ (impl. by UNDP-Tajikistan, Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency): The overall goal of the project is to strengthen the national disaster response system in Tajikistan at all levels.
Small-action credit line for Disaster Reduction in TJ (impl. by various partners):
The Small Grants Programme aims at supporting local initiatives reducing natural disaster risks and is implemented by various institutions, including national and international NGOs.
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