The Resilient Khorog Steering Committee had its first meeting in mid-September 2020, bringing together Government planning and investments with initiatives by the community, the private sector, AKDN institutions and international partners. The programme is designed to set up the structures, systems and capacity to transform Khorog into a model resilient city that is a place for sustainable economic growth and investment and that has a dynamic urban planning environment.  

The Steering Committee is part of the Khorog Urban Resilience Programme (KURP), a five-year partnership with the Government of Tajikistan and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), with co-funding from the agencies of the AKDN, the EU and the Embassy of Japan. 

The programme works to strengthen the capabilities of public, private and community institutions at the national and municipal levels, as well as to create proof of concept projects demonstrating the value of resilience tools. It also seeks resilience-informed planning through the creation of a resilience knowledge base. Finally, it mobilises investments in resilience by decreasing the risks to key infrastructure from natural hazards and environmental deterioration, thereby increasing economic growth. 

The regular meetings are designed to ensure inclusive and participatory planning and land use. Discussions at the first meeting covered the immediate humanitarian priorities, including support for the rehabilitation of the GBAO Regional Hospital, for which the SCO pledged support, focusing on the WASH and hygiene component. The partners noted the importance of training under the Programme. It was also decided that the Advisory Committee will partner with local institutions for knowledge capture and knowledge transfer, ensuring sustainability and replication in the future.