Fourth Central Asia Regional Risk Assessment conference kicks off in Almaty [EN/RU]

Almaty, 17 October – Over 30 representatives of regional international organizations and Central Asian Governments gather in Almaty for a two-day Central Asia Regional Risk Assessment (CARRA) conference to agree on specific collective measures that need to be taken in order to be fully prepared for the upcoming winter season. The participants will identify potential needs and gauge the capacities at national and regional levels in the following key areas: information management, vulnerability assessment and early warning.

“As emergencies will continue to occur in the Central Asia region – it is up to us, aid practitioners from local and international organizations, as well as national authorities to work closely together to effectively prevent, mitigate and respond to future disasters. That is what CARRA is all about,” said Marcel Vaessen, Head of UN OCHA’s Regional Office for the Caucasus and Central Asia.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) first organized CARRA in 2008 in response to compound crises that affected millions of people in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. The harsh winter of 2008, hydrological drought and dearth of hydropower caught governments, national and international humanitarian actors unprepared, leaving entire communities struggling to find regular access to adequate food and resorting to desperate measures in an attempt to keep their houses warm.

Since its inception, CARRA has matured into a decisive forum that brings together key people to push forward regional risk assessment, analysis, disaster preparedness and prevention. This year, CARRA builds on the agreements reached and a disaster risk reduction work plan developed at the previous conference in April 2011.

“This year’s CARRA meeting is about focusing upon risk assessment, information management, and early warning, as one of the cross-cutting areas identified in last year’s meeting. It is also dedicated to integrating key sectors like social protection, agriculture, and water within a comprehensive risk management framework,” said Michael Thurman, Practice Coordinator at UNDP’s Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery (BCPR).

Over the two days, following a side event on 16 October, representatives from the United Nations, leading development banks, international NGOs and Central Asian Governments will work out a joint action plan with concrete realistic measures. CARRA is organized thanks to collaboration between UNDP Regional Bureau for Europe and the CIS and UN Organization for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Caucasus and Central Asia.