Miyamoto International is proud to announce the completion of our collaborative project with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of Tajikistan on enhancing disaster resilience for community housing in Tajikistan. This initiative addresses critical vulnerabilities in rural housing, where a significant portion of the population resides in structures highly susceptible to earthquakes, mudflows, floods, and other natural hazards.
Project Overview
Tajikistan is located in a region of high seismicity, with rural communities particularly vulnerable due to prevalent non-engineered construction methods. Our team worked closely with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Committee of Emergency Situations and Civil Defense (CESCD) to develop a comprehensive roadmap for strengthening the resilience of village-level housing and small community structures.
The project consisted of three main components:
- Background Study: A detailed assessment of current rural housing conditions, construction practices, and vulnerability to natural hazards
- Resilient Community Housing Roadmap: A strategic framework for implementing resilient housing programs
- Case Studies Report: Documentation of best practices and knowledge sharing to support implementation
Key Findings
Our background study, which included extensive field surveys in the districts of Rasht and Tojikobod, revealed several critical insights:
- A large majority of rural buildings use Pakhsa (clay-bearing wall) construction, which performs poorly in earthquakes when not well constructed
- Most houses lack critical earthquake-resistant features such as seismic belts, proper foundations, and adequate connections between walls and foundations
- Many buildings are in fair to poor condition with insufficient maintenance
- Financial constraints were identified as the main impediment to implementing earthquake-resistant construction
The Roadmap to Resilience
Building on these findings, we developed a comprehensive roadmap that addresses four key dimensions of resilience:
Technical Dimension
- Development of technical guidelines for earthquake-resistant construction that complement current standards
- Digitalization of construction control means
- Capacity building programs for engineers, architects, masons, community leaders, and homeowners
Financial Dimension
- Collaboration with microfinance institutions
- Combined grants and microcredits approach
- Technical assistance to government agencies
- Support for small and medium enterprises in the construction sector
Communication Dimension
- Stakeholder engagement strategies
- Development of visual, user-friendly materials
- Multi-channel dissemination approaches
Social Dimension
- Inclusive and gender-aware guidelines
- Targeting of vulnerable populations
- Respect for vernacular architecture and local traditions
- Integration of social and cultural spaces
Learning from Global Best Practices
Our case studies report examined successful approaches from Indonesia, Afghanistan, Nepal, and Mongolia, identifying transferable strategies for Tajikistan:
- Simple, visual guidelines for safer construction
- Co-operative financing platforms
- Quality management systems and verification
- Capacity development through mason training
- Combining structural improvements with quality-of-life upgrades
Project Impact and Future Direction
This project establishes a foundation for significant improvements in rural housing resilience in Tajikistan. The roadmap will inform seismic design guidelines to be developed under the ADB Tajikistan National Disaster Risk Management Project (Additional Financing) and provide a suite of measures for resilient housing design, construction, capacity building, implementation, and monitoring.
By addressing both physical vulnerabilities and socio-economic factors, the comprehensive approach developed through this project aims to reduce disaster risk and build long-term community resilience across Tajikistan.
Acknowledgments
This project would not have been possible without the dedicated collaboration of many partners:
- The Committee of Emergency Situations and Civil Defense (CESCD) of Tajikistan
- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) team: Sifayet Ullah, Michelle B. Imperial, and Belinda Hewitt
- Our Miyamoto International team: Amir S.J. Gilani, Dr. Shakhzod Takhirov, Pulod Aminzoda, Olivia Nielsen, Giulia Jole Sechi, Hannah Mazkour, Zukhritdin Ergashev, Bakhodir Rakhmonov, and Andreas Giannakogiorgos.
Together, we are building a more resilient future for communities in Tajikistan.
Full reports are available on the ADB website:
