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Country Water Action: Kyrgyz Republic
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Villagers in the southern part of the Kyrgyz Republic are now more alert and more prepared than ever should natural disasters such as floods and landslides occur. A disaster-preparedness training program has honed their skills in coping with calamities that frequent their mountainous country. |
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Residents of Kyrgyz Republic's southern villages are now more prepared to face natural calamities after participating in a disaster-preparedness training program, which was jointly conducted by the Civil Social Support Center (CSSC) and the southern department of the Ministry of Extreme Situations (MES).
“This was the first-ever training conducted by the Ministry of Extreme Situations to help the local population during times of floods, landslides and mudflows. These natural calamities commonly occur in more than 90 percent of southern Kyrgyz Republic,” said CSSC’s Elmira Mavlyanova. Created in 1996, the CSSC is one of country's leading NGO support organizations.
The six-month disaster-preparedness project, which ended early July, was funded by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Focusing on the southern Kyrgyz provinces of Jalal-Abad, Osh and Batken, the project conducted a series of roundtable discussions, seminars, and trainings for both the villagers and local officials in 21 villages in the three provinces. 
“MES experts, local officials and volunteers worked out evacuation plans and logistics, and learned how to build small dams and channels,” said Joldosh Amanbekov, the head of the newly created civil protection department of MES. “Our duty is to coordinate with the ministry, local administrations and the local residents on how to prepare for natural cataclysms and hopefully prevent the loss of lives,” said Amanbekov.
Jalal-Abad Vice Governor Aybek Akbarov was quite happy with the training results. He said, “The participants learned how to construct small dams, fortify the riverbanks and clear drainage channels.”
Mavlyanova said that they chose to conduct seminars in high-risk areas given the fact that Kyrgyz Republic is dominated by peaks, glaciers and high-altitude lakes. The country is no stranger to natural disasters, often because of cattle overgrazing and the deforestation of steep mountain slopes. Mudslides and avalanches are said to have swallowed entire villages. Apart from water-related disasters, earthquakes also affect the region. A severe earthquake in 1992 left thousands of people homeless in Jalal-Abad.According to CSSC studies, only 16.7 percent of villagers in Ak-Kyja in Osh province knew how to act in times of natural calamities. When the training program was conducted in Ak-Kyia, more than half of the villagers joined the seminars.
Volunteer groups, consisting of local administration representatives and villagers, have been created after the training. The primary goal of these groups is to notify and evacuate villagers during emergency situations. The MES’ local branches have a list of members of the volunteer groups in the 21 villages. Apart from constant coordination, the volunteers also train fellow villagers on some basic preparedness skills.
Some peasants, however, stayed away from the project because they said it would not be of any use during floods and landslides. “The State is obliged to protect us. We can do nothing against the forces of nature,” stated one peasant from Sarybulak village in Jalal-Abad province.
“We tried to explain to them the importance of being prepared in extreme situations and tried to convince them to come to the training but they didn’t want to,” said Mavlyanova. “Many villagers, especially the younger ones, think they are safe where they are. But natural catastrophes are very unpredictable and we couldn’t take any chances.”
“A person should be given the opportunity to protect his family and property,” MES deputy minister Bolot Ayadaraliev said, stressing the importance of resident’s participation in the trainings. “We know we did the right thing. Local residents who participated in the project say that their newfound knowledge is very dear to them than any special equipment,” said Ayadaraliev.While government funds for the effective prevention of natural calamities are not enough, what is greatly needed in the Kyrgyz Republic is the effective coordination between the citizens and the government to guarantee protection in extreme calamities. And this is what the disaster-preparedness project is hoping to achieve.
For Mavlyanova, the work is not yet done. “There are about 200 villages located in danger zones in Jalal-Abad province. Many of them are located high up in the mountains, and there are no telephone lines and roads. This is why it’s important that we continue this project. And we hope that the government and international organizations will support us,” she said.
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