12 December 2008 Asia-PLUS Daily Blitz
DUSHANBE, December 12, 2008, Asia-Plus /Bahrom Mannonov/ — Between December 9 and 22 2008, Focus Humanitarian Assistance (FOCUS) is holding the first of three training courses in Dushanbe and Khorog, Gorno Badakhshan on the use of Geographic Information System (GIS). According to Ms. Soro Marodaliyeva, Communications Officer, Focus Humanitarian Assistance Tajikistan, the FOCUS training aims to build capacity within government institutions and to enhance their staff’s knowledge and skills in this field. This training is being conducted within the framework of the DIPECHO project “Fostering Disaster-Resilient Communities in Isolated Mountain Environments” funded by the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid Department (ECHO). In Tajikistan, FOCUS has a long history of working in close collaboration with government institutions in the field of Disaster Risk Reduction.
These institutions include the Committee of Emergency Situations and Civil Defense, the Head Agency of Geology under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan, the Hydro-meteorological Observatory of Khorog city and the Avalanche Station of Navobod, GBAO. This three-phased training is being held for the employees of the above mentioned institutions. The second and third phases are planned for February and July of 2009 respectively. Since 2003, FOCUS in Tajikistan has been the implementing partner of the DIPECHO project in GBAO. It has realized comprehensive community-based disaster risk reduction initiatives throughout GBAO and providing capacity building programs for local government institutions working in the field of Disaster Risk Reduction.
Ismailimail 