(MENAFN- Pajhwok Afghan News) KABUL (Pajhwok): Boarder police officers and civilians from Afghanistan and Tajikistan have recently implemented a joint disaster risk management training programme.
Part of UNDP€™s EU-BOMNAF and JICA-BMP projects, the training programme was conducted on international boarder in northeastern Badakhshan province, the European Union (EU) said on Monday.
A statement from EU said the activity was conducted at the Nusai-Ruzvai border crossing point (BCP) where the Friendship Bridge spans the Panj River, the border between Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO) and Badakhshan.
Tajik and Afghan border agencies€™ staff from the neighbouring BCPs of Khumroghi (Tajikistan) and Djomarji Bolo (Afghanistan) also took part in the training.
Although the BCP is adjacent to Kalai Khumb, administrative capital of Darvoz district, the combination of remote location, tectonic characteristics and natural conditions means the population is particularly vulnerable to natural disasters like avalanches, earthquakes, floods and landslides.
Increasingly unpredictable weather patterns leading to unexpected snow melts, rains and fluctuating temperatures have exacerbated the situation, particularly during annual thaws. The close proximity between Tajik and Afghan populations necessitates cross-border cooperation in the face of large-scale disasters.
The training course was attended by personnel likely to be mobilised to assist, rescue or evacuate potential victims. Twenty members of the Afghanistan Border Police (ABP), eighteen Tajikistan Border Force (TBF) and 15 local Afghan community leaders were brought together for the three-day course.
Several different aspects of disaster risk management (DRM), focusing primarily around mitigation measures to be used in preparation for any natural disaster responses were covered.
Practical applications of this topic included steps taken to formulate plans for response and rescue of affected populations. Participants discussed appropriate responses in the aftermath of natural disasters, focusing on events, especially common to their area, such as earthquakes and landslides.
Raising awareness of how to react to natural disasters among people of remote villages in borderlands is critical, as emergency response teams can face serious logistical difficulties, delays and obstacles when deployed to such far flung areas.
A large quantity of pictographic posters, outlining clear instructions for natural disaster response were given to participants for distribution in their communities as quick reference guides.
Upon receiving an earthquake and avalanche specific set of posters, one Afghan replied, €œGreat! One for the mosque and one for the school!€, -noted DRM expert, Dr Alisho Shomahmadov, who has extensive emergency response experience in remote areas of Tajikistan, worked with EU-BOMNAF staff to deliver this practical training.
nh/mud
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