Gorgan, January 15, 2003 - The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and
Governor General's Office of northern Golestan Province signed a project here on emergency integrated water basin rehabilitation in Doogh river basin for vulnerability reduction.

The Government of Italy contributed an amount of US$ 467,704 to the project.

The project document has been formulated based on a proposal by a UN inter-agency mission, after a visit in the Golestan Province to the areas affected by the flash floods of August 2001, in line with supporting the Government's immediate respond to the disaster. UNDP will work with Golestan province Disaster Task Force (DTF) to address the reconstruction of community services, infrastructure and facilities and rehabilitation of degraded forests and watersheds.

The overall objective of the present project is the rehabilitation of community facilities and natural resources affected by floods in the Doogh River Basin, Golestan province and enhancing the national capacity in disaster management and the reduction of vulnerability to future floods by ensuring that those who remain seriously affected, particularly in terms of health and drinking water, receive prompt assistance; rehabilitation of degraded forests for vulnerability reduction; and enhancing the capacity of the Provincial Disaster Task Force in disaster management.

The project is not only in line with the priorities of the Government in reducing the vulnerability of communities to flood, but also to the UNDP’s mandate of capacity building in disaster management.