Under the Kyrgyz Republic Resilient Landscape Restoration Project (RESILAND Kyrgyzstan), part of the RESILAND CA+ Program, Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) have been procured for the Department for Monitoring and Forecasting of Emergency Situations under the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Kyrgyz Republic. The datasets cover priority project sites as well as other areas across the country exposed to natural hazards.
The DEMs cover a total area of approximately 6,000 hectares, with a spatial resolution of up to 3 meters. In total, DEMs were acquired for 14 priority sites.
The data will support research and modeling of natural hazard processes, including debris flows, floods, and landslides. The application of DEMs enables more accurate terrain analysis, identification of potentially vulnerable areas, and strengthens the evidence base for decision-making within the national disaster risk management system.
The procurement of DEMs forms part of the RESILAND Kyrgyzstan’s broader efforts to enhance the technical and analytical capacity of the Department and to promote the use of modern tools for natural risk monitoring.
Background
A Digital Elevation Model (DEM) is a digital representation of the Earth’s surface that captures elevation, slope, and terrain morphology. DEMs are generated using aerial surveys, satellite imagery, and geodetic measurements and are used for:
- terrain and hydrological analysis;
- assessment of risks related to debris flows, floods, and landslides;
- development of engineering and nature-based solutions;
- modeling scenarios of natural hazard evolution.
The use of DEMs enables a shift from descriptive assessments to quantitative analysis and forecasting, significantly improving the effectiveness of disaster risk reduction planning.
The Kyrgyz Republic Resilient Landscape Restoration Project is part of the World Bank’s RESILAND CA+ program, aimed at strengthening landscape resilience across Central Asian countries. Similar national and regional activities are also being implemented in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
The Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC) implements the regional component of the Kyrgyz Republic Resilient Landscape Restoration Project.
Additional Information:
Chinara Berbayeva – Deputy Director, Project Implementation Department under the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Kyrgyz Republic / Project Manager, RESILAND Kyrgyzstan
Lyudmila Kiktenko – Deputy Team Leader, “Restoration of Sustainable Landscapes in Kyrgyzstan: Regional Component” Project, CAREC