BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 30. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $30 million grant to Tajikistan to help strengthen disaster risk management and reduce economic losses due to climate change and natural disasters, Trend reports via ADB.
The project supplements an ongoing $10 million grant approved by the ADB in 2018 to support the Tajikistan government's efforts to mainstream disaster risk management into development planning.
As the ADB Natural Resources and Agriculture Economist Matthias Leitner notes, the project will help build disaster-resilient shelters, strengthen the capacity of local communities and officials, and improve disaster response facilities in the Khatlon region.
“The disaster-resilient accommodation will be climate resilient and have reliable water and electricity supply, and facilities for the specific needs of women, children, and people with disabilities. The project will also improve social infrastructure in nearby villages including access roads, a bridge, power transmission lines, healthcare centers, and schools," the ADB said.
Furthermore, local communities and displaced people will get skills training including in agricultural innovation and crop production and negotiation skills, to strengthen their incomes and community resilience.
Since Tajikistan joined ADB in 1998, the bank has provided over $2.5 billion in assistance to the country, including around $1.9 billion in grants.