In a global, virtual event organized by the FAO in celebration of International Mountain Day, Dilshodbegim Khusravova – one of the Aga Khan Agency for Habitat’s (AKAH) emergency response volunteers in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO), Tajikistan – was nominated the Mountain Partnership’s first Youth Goodwill Ambassador, according to the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN).

Ms. Khusravova, a 21-year-old native of the Pamir Mountains, has been a champion for mountain communities since she was a young girl.  She leads a local community emergency response team – all volunteers – in GBAO and is passionate about protecting mountains and mountain life and encouraging women to speak up and lead.   

Dilshodbegim Khusravova

She, in particular, noted in an interview with AKAH at the end of last week that current harsh climate conditions pose a threat to the population of the Pamirs.

“It can increase the intensity of natural hazards and man-made disasters.  In many cases, villages are cut off from communication routes for a long time after these disasters and must rely only on themselves and neighboring communities,” said Dilshodbegim.  “And that’s why we have to take care of Mother Nature and mountains. They do matter.”

“As volunteers, we can improve the ability of our community to better cope with the impacts of disasters and other emergencies.  Thanks to AKAH and the Government for taking unprecedented actions to train and equip us with the resources,” she said.