UNESCO equips rural schools in Uzbekistan with weather monitoring tools and disaster education
UNESCO is equipping rural schools in Uzbekistan’s Pskem and Tepar villages with weather stations and hands-on disaster education to help communities better prepare for landslides and other hazards.
Part of the regional GLOFCA initiative, the project empowers students, strengthens local knowledge, and supports climate resilience across Central Asia.s in Uzbekistan's Pskem and Tepar villages with weather stations and hands-on disaster education to help communities better prepare for landslides and other hazards.
In recent years, the construction of hydropower stations and roads in the Pskem River valley has disrupted the terrain, increasing the risk of geological hazards. Although the nearby glacial lakes currently pose no direct threat, experts warn that long-term monitoring is crucial. For the nearly 2,000 residents of Pskem and Tepar, disaster preparedness is not optional - it is a necessity.
Nestled in the mountains of Uzbekistan, the villages of Pskem and Tepar are closely tied to the land. Beekeeping and orchard farming are central to their way of life, with generations producing honey and fruit. Yet life in this landscape comes with risk - the area is vulnerable to rain-induced mudflows and landslides.
The UNESCO-led project "Reducing vulnerabilities of populations in the Central Asia region from glacier lake outburst floods in a changing climate" (GLOFCA) - funded by the Adaptation Fund and implemented with support from the University of Zurich-has equipped schools in Pskem and Tepar with weather stations and introduced interactive climate and disaster preparedness classes.
Students learned how landslides and mudflows occur, and how weather conditions can trigger them. They took ownership of the new weather stations, learning to maintain the equipment and use the data for school projects. Teachers now integrate this information into lessons, enabling students to track seasonal changes and explore the science behind their environment.
For Rukhshana, 13-year-old student at Pskem school, it was more than just a lesson - it was a chance to witness science in action.
I love science, it feels like magic. In biology, I love learning about bacteria and the human body. And in chemistry, it's amazing to see how substances react. I didn't know that from temperature and other data it is possible to predict landslides - Rukhshana13-year-old student at Pskem school
Today, the stations are carefully maintained by school staff and proudly used by students-standing not only as tools for learning but also as symbols of growing local awareness and ownership in disaster preparedness.
This work is part of a broader regional initiative spanning Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, the Kyrgyz Republic and Kazakhstan to address growing risks from glacier melt and mountain hazards. In Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republicstan, and Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan, GLOFCA is installing Early Warning Systems and delivering training to enhance local preparedness. In Uzbekistan, where landslide risks are more acute, the focus is on monitoring, youth education, and nature-based solutions. Thanks to the expertise of national partners like the Hydrometeorological Scientific Research Institute (NIGMI), the Institute of Geology and Geophysics, and SE "Hydroengeo", GLOFCA plans to implement a range of others activities in 2025, including planting trees with the local community to reinforce vulnerable slopes and conducting further disaster preparedness outreach.
Our village is beautiful, and our nature is perfect for honey production. But we've seen how climate change is affecting us. The GLOFCA project inspires hope and shows that we're not alone in facing these challenges.-Serrazhiddin IsanbayevDeputy Hakim of Pskem
By empowering young people, strengthening regional cooperation, and promoting locally driven approaches, UNESCO and its partners are helping vulnerable mountain communities across Central Asia prepare for the challenges of a changing climate.