The geography and topography of the Kyrgyz Republic makes it one of the most hazard-prone countries in Central Asia. Available data suggest that natural hazards incur major economic losses on these countries, with costs between 0.5 and 1.3% of annual gross domestic product. Rising temperatures, changing hydrology conditions, and frequency of extreme weather events associated with climate change will exacerbate the Kyrgyz Republic’s vulnerability and reduce ability to manage extreme events unless the appropriate adaptation measures are put in place. Drought is a common occurrence in the country, as are land and mudslides, avalanches, squalls, downpours, icing, frosts, breakthrough of glacial lakes, floods, rise of sub-soil waters, epidemics, pests, crop diseases, and river erosion, and earthquakes, of which the country experiences 3,000 to 5,000 every year.
This section provides a summary of key natural hazards and their associated socioeconomic impacts in a given country. And it allows quick evaluation of most vulnerable areas through the spatial comparison of natural hazard data with development data, thereby identifying exposed livelihoods and natural systems.