The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is funding a flood risk management system for one of the most flood-affected regions of Tajikistan, the Khatlon province, said ADB Thursday in a news release.
"Tajikistan is prone to frequent natural disasters because of its terrain and climate. Floods are particularly severe disaster risks because of the mountainous nature of the country," said Tetsuro Miyazato, senior natural resources management specialist of ADB's Central and West Asia Department.
The Khatlon Province Flood Risk Management Project will address recurring flood risks in four districts in the province, situated southwest of Tajikistan.
A major part of the project is the rehabilitation of 8.3 kilometers of flood protection embankment along Pyanj River, which borders Tajikistan and neighboring Afghanistan. Assuming that a medium level of maintenance is achieved, the proposed embankment can protect against floods at the probability of once in 100 years, said ADB.
The project will also develop and disseminate a flood risk map, strengthen flood warning systems, draw up a flood preparedness and evacuation plan, and strengthen flood forecasting capacity by rehabilitating the country's hydrometeorological network, ADB added.
The multilateral development finance institution will provide a loan of 22 million U.S. dollars to support the project, which has a total estimated cost of 28.5 million dollars. The balance will be covered by the Government of Tajikistan.
The project area has some of the most productive agricultural lands in Tajikistan. Cotton, the key agricultural export commodity of the country, is grown in 53 percent of the farm land in the project area, which in turn accounts for 32 percent of the country's total cotton area.
Source: Xinhua
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