Stretching from the Caspian Sea in the west to China and in the east, the terrain of central Asia is very diverse. The vast steppes grassland of Kazakhstan, desert of Turkmenistan, Aral Sea drainage basin, mountain ranges of the Tianshan and Karakoram are just a few features that highlight the diversity in region’s terrain. Yet the region experiences similarities in the risks from natural disasters.

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the digital transformation and underscored its importance for mitigating the economic slowdown, sustaining wellbeing, and speeding up recovery. Governments, smart policymaking, as well as regional cooperation play an essential role in helping to both enable digital transformation to occur and in facilitating access to technology.