Green Climate Fund announces US$9.9 million grant for multi-hazard early warning system in Uzbekistan

Enhanced warnings and climate information will save lives and reduce risks for 34 million people

Songdo, Korea, 19 March 2021 – The Green Climate Fund (GCF) announced today US$9.9 million in funding to enhance the multi-hazard early warning system in Uzbekistan.

The six-year project will be implemented by the Government of Uzbekistan through the Ministry of Emergency Situations with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The Government of Uzbekistan is providing over US$30 million in co-financing for the project through the Ministry of Emergency Situations and Uzhydromet.

Frequent and more intense mudflows, landslides, avalanches and other climate change-related disasters in Uzbekistan are putting lives and livelihoods at risk and slowing progress to reach targets outlined in the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals. It is estimated that the whole population of Uzbekistan, 34 million people, are vulnerable to natural climate hazards.

“In the face of increasing climate risks, this multi-hazard early warning system will save lives, support sustainable and responsible economic and social development, and enhance climate resilience of people affected by climate risks, including the most vulnerable and poor rural communities living in mountainous areas that face heightened risks from climate-induced hazards,” said the expert of the Ministry for Emergency Situations of Uzbekistan.

The improved early warning systems will inform future planning and reduce risks for vulnerable communities, support resilient livelihoods, good health, and well-being, and improve food and water security for the people of Uzbekistan.

The project will improve early warnings on mudflows, floods, landslides, avalanches and hydrological drought across the country with a greater investment in the more populous and economically important eastern mountainous regions of Uzbekistan, an essential element of the country’s climate risk management framework and Nationally Determined Contribution to the Paris Agreement.

“Investing in the modernization of Uzbekistan’s climate services and early warning systems in an investment in the future. Taken together with other actions, they pave the way for low-carbon, climate resilient development and a better future for generations to come,” said UNDP Resident Representative, Matilda Dimovska.

The GCF-financed project will accelerate and scale-up the impacts of the Adaptation Fund-financed “Developing climate resilience of farming communities in the drought prone parts of Uzbekistan” project, which upgraded automatic weather stations with modern hydrometeorological equipment and conducted an analysis of the economic efficiency of this modernization.

###

Notes to editors

• Enhancing Multi-Hazard Early Warning System to Increase Resilience of Uzbekistan Communities to Climate Change Induced Hazards Project
• Uzbekistan Government
• UNDP Uzbekistan
• GCF Uzbekistan
• Uzbekistan NDC

Project outputs

Output 1: Upgraded hydro-meteorological observation network, modelling and forecasting capacities.
Output 2: Establish a functional Multi-Hazard Early Warning System based on innovative impact modelling, risk analyses, effective regional communication and community awareness.
Output 3: Strengthened climate services and disaster communication to end users.