A final seminar was held in Ashgabat within the framework of the project "Strengthening national capacities for seismic risk assessment, prevention and response to potential earthquakes." The project is being implemented by the Institute of Seismology and Atmospheric Physics of the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan in cooperation with the United Nations Development Program.

After discussing promising directions of work in the field of seismic risk assessment and reduction in Turkmenistan, the participants proposed conduct a research in earthquake-prone areas of the country and creating an international laboratory based on the new complex of the Turkmen State Architecture and Construction Institute.

Sergey Tyagunov, the UNDP international consultant on seismic risks, spoke at the seminar. He was at the helm of a comprehensive assessment of seismic vulnerability and risks, including conducting relevant training sessions within the framework of the project. As a result, the book "Seismic Risk" was worked out, which will become a valuable educational resource for relevant courses in seismology in the country.

The UNDP’s Permanent Representative in Turkmenistan, Narine Sahakyan, carried the hopes for productive cooperation with the Institute of Seismology and other national partners in the field of seismology and disaster risk reduction in Turkmenistan. It should be notice that the collaborative project "Strengthening national Seismic Risk Assessment, prevention and response to potential earthquakes" began in 2018.

For the first time in Turkmenistan, a comprehensive assessment of the seismic hazard of Ashgabat was carried out using modern methodology. In addition, within the framework of the project, a draft law "On ensuring seismic safety" that will strengthen the legislative framework in the field of disaster risk reduction in Turkmenistan.