Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, UNDP and CESDRR experts discussed and planned measures on strengthening the preparedness of international airports of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan to work in emergencies

April 2, 2021 a webinar on airport emergency preparedness was held online by the UNDP Regional Office for Europe and the CIS at support of the Center within the framework of the global GARD program “Get Airports Ready for Disaster". Representatives of the MES of Kyrgyzstan, the MES of Kazakhstan, the staff of Manas and Almaty international airports participated.

During the webinar, the GARD program, developed by Deutsche Post DHL and UNDP, was presented, orientation training on the assessment of airport to natural disasters was conducted.

In accordance with the agenda of the webinar, the experience of Armenia and Kazakhstan was presented for assessing the readiness of international airports.

As experience has shown, the assessment of Almaty airport carried out in 2018, formed the basis of a number of organizational and technical improvements, which had been confirmed by work under COVID lock down in 2020, when the acceptance of aircrafts with humanitarian aid increased several times against a deficit of support staff (quarantine), and in practice confirmed the effectiveness of the measures taken after assessment.

Participants shared useful experience and noted the importance of this activities for Central Asian countries and the need for further continuing of this work. Thus, representatives of Manas airport showed interest in such an assessment, in turn, the Center expressed its readiness to provide, with the support of MES of Kyrgyzstan, assistance in promoting the above-mentioned program in the Central Asia region.

As a result of the discussion, all stakeholders agreed with the need to take coordinated measures to strengthen readiness of international airports in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan to work in emergencies through the use of advanced international experience and practice.