A joint project between the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Government of Turkmenistan, titled “Strengthening National Capacity for Seismic Risk Assessment, Prevention and Response to Potential Earthquakes”, officially concluded in July 2025. The intermediate project outcomes were previously highlighted by Progres.Online and one of the key results, a textbook on seismic risks, described in another article.
Running since 2018, the project aimed to improve disaster preparedness in Turkmenistan, increase the country’s resilience in the face of earthquakes, particularly in Ashgabat, and has been described as “a significant milestone in the country’s disaster risk reduction efforts”. However, the project’s outcomes have not been made publicly available.
The project received funding mainly from the Turkmen government, with additional support from UNDP. According to the UNDP Resident Representative in Turkmenistan, the project helped to build advanced tools and institutional capacity for seismic risk management and reinforced “the shared commitment to protecting lives, infrastructure, and future development from natural disasters”.
Publicly stated, limited outcomes
According to UNDP, the project delivered a number of practical results:
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SUPPORT OUR WORK- Development of two GIS-based digital platforms for assessing seismic risks, ASTERHAZ and ASTERRISK. This included: mapping earthquake-prone areas, studying active fault lines, updating maps in the pilot area. Over 40 buildings and 10 educational institutions were assessed for seismic vulnerability.
- Scientific equipment and software worth over 650 thousand USD were purchased for the Institute of Seismology and Physics of the Atmosphere of the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan.
- Over 100 experts received specialized training, and educational materials were developed, including the trilingual Terminology Dictionary and a Textbook on Seismic Risk.
- Ministries developed national guidelines on earthquake preparedness and seismic vulnerability reduction.
- A seismic data processing center has been established and recommendations to enhance seismic monitoring systems have been developed.
- “Ensuring Seismic Safety” draft law was developed that aims to strengthen the national legislative framework for disaster risk reduction.
A second phase of the project is already under discussion, with possible expansion of seismic risk assessment to other regions, including Arkadag, Balkanabat, Turkmenbashi, and the Awaza National Tourist Zone.
While UNDP listed several ministries as partners in the project, including the Ministry of Defense, Education, Health and Medical Industry, Construction and Architecture, and the Research Institute of Earthquake-Resistant Construction, no project reports or outputs have been made public through these institutions’ official websites.
At the project’s final meeting in July, the UNDP Resident Representative in Turkmenistan proposed to the Project Council to prepare a detailed account of activities and results. The Council agreed to prepare all final documents by the end of August 2025 and to submit it through diplomatic channels to the Cabinet of Ministers and other relevant state bodies for approval and possible use. Whether these results will be shared with the broader public, however, remains uncertain.
