DUSHANBE, October 28, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- Every year, the Regional Office of the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) for Central Asia holds a photo contest “Disasters through Lens” under financial support of European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid Department (ECHO).

According to public association Homa, this year, all those interested from Central Asia both professionals and amateurs may take part in the contest.

Total prize money of the contest is 2,000 U.S. dollars.  The works will be considered by the contest jury that will consist of representatives of the UNISDR Regional Office for Central.  The jury will select the best photographs and the prize money will be divided among their authors, the source said.

We will recall that last year, photojournalist for the news agency Asia-Plus Nozim Qalandarov took the first place for the photograph “Students Salvage Residual Textbooks after the Fire at Tajik State Medical University.”

The United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction is the focal point in the UN system aiming at building disaster resilient communities by promoting increased awareness of the importance of disaster reduction as an integral component of sustainable development, with the goal of reducing human, social, economic and environmental losses due to natural hazards and related technological and environmental disasters.  The UNISDR secretariat based in Geneva collects information on disaster reduction, develops campaigns on raising public awareness and publishes articles, booklets and other materials on disaster risk reduction.