In times of financial crisis, scientists are often the first to face government cutbacks. But in Kyrgyzstan's Tien Shan Mountains, one of the world’s most active seismic zones, such negligence could have devastating consequences, Kanat Abdrakhmatov, director of the National Academy of Sciences Institute of Seismology, has told 24.kg.
Of the country’s 24 seismology stations, 15 have closed this year due to a lack of funding.
In addition, the remaining nine analogue stations,
are standing idle due to lack of photo paper for printing the data of seismic devices on. The state has not allocated funds for the Institute of Seismology under the [National Academy of Sciences] for purchase of this very photo paper since the beginning of 2010. The price of the issue is 920 thousand soms [about $20,000].
The article suggests that poor funding contributed to the lack of preparedness for an earthquake in October 2008 that left at least 74 dead.
If you need convincing that Kyrgyzstan lies in an active earthquake zone, check out this “seismic hazard map” of Asia by the US Geological Survey. That big brown blob in the middle, signifying lots of quakes, is Kyrgyzstan.
David Trilling is Eurasianet’s managing editor.
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