LocationsCommunity Preparedness is Key to Effective Early Warning Systems
October 22, 2026
Today, in Kumushkan mahalla in Tashkent Region, a volunteer team with women’s participation took part in a simulation exercise alongside specialists from the Ministry of Emergency Situations and other emergency response services. The exercise was part of the events dedicated to the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction.
This year, UNDP and MES began establishing volunteer groups with women’s participation in seven mahallas across seven target regions of Uzbekistan. The volunteers have completed first aid training and are developing practical skills in disaster risk reduction and emergency preparedness, which they put into practice during simulation exercises in their own communities.
Kumushkan is one of the participating mahallas. Following disaster risk reduction training sessions, volunteers took part in a simulation exercise to practice alerting residents using loudspeakers, organizing evacuations, responding to emergencies and providing first aid.
“Women often have strong networks within their communities and understand family needs. Their participation in disaster risk reduction strengthens community preparedness and helps ensure that emergency response takes into account the needs of all residents, including children, pregnant women, older people and persons with disabilities,” said Akiko Fujii, UNDP Resident Representative in Uzbekistan.
Climate change is affecting the frequency, intensity and patterns of natural hazards. Rising temperatures, changing precipitation patterns and melting glaciers can contribute to heightened risks of mudflows, floods, hydrological droughts and avalanches.
To better protect people and communities, safeguard territories and reduce potential economic losses, Uzbekistan is modernizing its Multi-hazard Early Warning System. The effort combines improvements in hazard monitoring and risk analysis with expanded warning dissemination channels and measures to help people understand how to respond when warnings are issued.
One of the key developments is a geographic information system (GIS)-based platform that consolidates and analyses data, displays information on digital maps and models potential hazard scenarios.
At the same time, Uzhydromet’s hydrometeorological monitoring infrastructure is being strengthened to improve observations of hazardous events and support forecasting. A multi-module platform is also being developed to assess the risks of avalanches, mudflows, landslides and hydrological drought. Designed to complement the MES GIS platform, it will strengthen the country’s capacity to assess natural hazards and support timely warnings.
To ensure that emergency warnings reach as many people as possible, Uzbekistan is expanding its public alert and information channels. In addition to SMS alerts, radio and television broadcasts, sirens and outdoor information screens in public spaces, special alert broadcast devices have been installed in mosques located near populated areas to enable transmission of emergency messages from the Ministry of Emergency Situations through the mosques' external loudspeakers. To date, such equipment has been installed at 272 mosques across seven regions of Uzbekistan.
“This solution is particularly valuable because it makes use of existing infrastructure to deliver warnings quickly to the public, especially in rural, remote and hard-to-reach areas,” said Ulugbek Djurabaev, Head of the Department for ICT Development, Digitalization and Information Security, MES.
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Uzbekistan’s Multi-hazard Early Warning System is modernised under a joint project implemented by the Ministry of Emergency Situations, UNDP and Uzhydromet, with financial support from the Green Climate Fund.
