Characterized by a steep mountainous terrain, the landlocked Central Asian country of Tajikistan is highly vulnerable to natural hazards such as earthquakes, floods, landslides, and avalanches. Posing a persistent threat to the country’s continued development progress, disasters in Tajikistan caused economic losses exceeding $1.8 billion and affected almost 7 million people between 1992 and 2016. 

Disasters frequently impact the country’s infrastructure. Because much of it was built in the Soviet era without concern for resilience, the vulnerable structures amplify the devastating consequences of disasters for people and communities. In July 2015, floods and mudflows in some of the most remote and mountainous parts of Tajikistan destroyed several bridges, interrupting key transport corridors and stranding villages. 

Under the auspices of the $50 million Strengthening Critical Infrastructure against Natural Hazards Project, the government of Tajikistan has been deeply engaged with the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) and the World Bank to make its critical infrastructure, including bridges, more resilient to disaster. 

Over 750,000 people, nearly half of whom are women, are estimated to have benefitted from the more resilient infrastructure made possible through this partnership.

“We carried a sick person to a neighboring village on foot and then transported him to the district center’s hospital by car. Vehicles could not access Chikhokh . . . Today, we have this new bridge, which can be used by cars. Pedestrians, including children, are safe as they use a separated sidewalk on the bridge.” – Roziya, Primary school teacher in Chikhokh village of Vanj district in Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast

A key focus of GFDRR support has been the resilient reconstruction of 17 bridges in the Mountainous Badakhshan Autonomous Region, which saw significant damage to its transport infrastructure during the 2015 floods and mudflows. The selection of bridges was guided by the extent of damage from the floods and mudflows, as well as by feedback from local consultations. 

The resilient reconstruction included measures to increase the height and span of the bridges, thus enabling them to remain open to traffic even during high water flows. Four years after the 17 bridges were reconstructed, all have remained operational despite a series of extreme weather events.

Reconstruction of the bridges has improved connectivity in the region, including to and from remote rural communities. Until the reconstruction, several of the reconstructed bridges serving these communities were replacements for structures that had been damaged and out of service for many years. Other bridges reconstructed were on key trunk highways, including the main road connecting Tajikistan to China. The improved connectivity has paid dividends in terms of quality of life, while also strengthening economic links. Notably, the reconstructed bridges have substantially reduced travel time and improved access to services and markets for the rural communities. 

In supporting the resilient reconstruction of bridges, GFDRR helped enable the introduction of novel engineering solutions to Tajikistan. For instance, the design of one of the 17 bridges employed a reinforced embankment with gabion blocks, the first time this was used in the country. Gabion blocks—wire mesh containers of rectangular shape that are filled with stones or other durable materials—will allow for quick, targeted repairs to specific sections of the bridge in case of damage. 

In addition to the resilient reconstruction of bridges, support under the Strengthening Critical Infrastructure against Natural Hazards Project was also provided toward the restoration of flood protection and riverbank erosion prevention infrastructure in Khatlon province, which was also severely affected by the 2015 floods and mudslides. In total, over 27 kilometers of either fully destroyed or partially destroyed embankments were restored.

This story is an update of a previous version.