Uzbekistan and Japan are expanding cooperation on urban resilience to natural disasters and climate change.

Uzbekistan and Japan are deepening cooperation in enhancing urban resilience to natural disasters and climate change.

A high-level dialogue on strengthening urban resilience to natural disasters and the impacts of climate change was held in Tashkent. The event was organized by UNDP, the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change of Uzbekistan, the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Uzbekistan, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan (MLIT).

The meeting was held as part of two regional UNDP projects supported by the Government of Japan: one aims to enhance the resilience of Central Asian cities to disaster risks and climate change, and the other to strengthen the regional disaster risk reduction system.

Representatives of government agencies from Uzbekistan and Japan, international organizations, and the expert community participated in the event. A key focus was the integration of climate adaptation and disaster risk assessment into urban planning processes.

Aziz Abdukhakimov, Advisor to the President on Ecology and Chairman of the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change, emphasized the importance of further developing Uzbek-Japanese cooperation in disaster risk reduction, early warning systems, and sustainable urban development. He noted that Uzbekistan is actively developing air quality monitoring systems, green infrastructure, early warning mechanisms, and approaches to urban planning that take natural risks into account. Sustainable infrastructure development, early warning systems, and modern environmental technologies were identified as promising areas of cooperation with Japanese companies and technical experts.

Japanese State Minister for Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism Hajime Sasaki expressed Japan's readiness to share its accumulated experience, technologies, and public-private partnership practices in disaster risk reduction with Uzbekistan.

During the dialogue, participants discussed international experience and modern approaches to seismic safety, flood preparedness, and risk-based urban planning. Japanese experts presented practical solutions for emergency response, while Uzbek representatives described national strategies and ongoing measures, including in Tashkent and Namangan.

Uzbek Deputy Minister of Emergency Situations Khurshid Sotiev noted that developing early warning systems, improving seismic safety, and implementing a risk-based approach to urban planning are directly linked to ensuring public safety. He expressed the ministry's readiness to support initiatives in these areas and expand practical cooperation.

Japanese Ambassador to Uzbekistan Kenji Hirata emphasized that reducing disaster risks, enhancing urban resilience, and combating climate change are important areas of cooperation within the "Central Asia Plus Japan" format.

Namangan is receiving special attention in this cooperation. According to UNDP Resident Representative in Uzbekistan Akiko Fujii, the first Climate and Natural Hazard Risk Profile has been developed for the city as part of the joint initiative. This tool is designed to facilitate more effective consideration of climate and natural hazards in urban development planning.

UNDP also noted that the resilience of urban infrastructure is particularly important amid ongoing urbanization and the need to protect populations from the impacts of natural disasters and climate change.

The dialogue resulted in recommendations for strengthening institutional capacity, improving early warning systems, and further developing regional cooperation in disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation. Participants emphasized the importance of continuing the exchange of experience and technologies between Uzbekistan and Japan to create safer and more resilient urban environments in the country and Central Asia.