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Harnessing Community Power to Repair Afghanistan's Irrigation Systems

MANILA, PHILIPPINES (8 January 2004) - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a US$5 million grant, from its Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction (JFPR), funded by the Government of Japan, to repair severely damaged irrigation systems in northern Afghanistan.

The community-based project will rehabilitate and improve about 120 small-to medium-scale traditional irrigation schemes in up to 40 micro-watersheds in the three northern provinces of Jowzjan, Faryab, and Sar-E-Pol.

Over two years, communities will play a key role in identifying, prioritizing, planning, and undertaking the subprojects. To ensure sustainability, the project will develop watershed management plans and train the community to better manage water resources.

A project management support component will help the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development better manage and coordinate the community-based programs.

"Helping the communities to repair their irrigation systems will effectively restart and strengthen rural livelihoods," says Donneth A. Walton, an ADB Senior Rural Development Specialist.

"Improvement of small and medium scale irrigation structures is key to boosting agricultural production and energizing the rural economy."

An important benefit of this community-based repair to small to medium scale irrigation systems is that it will have a strong positive effect in controlling the growing of the white poppy and other sources of drugs, focusing farmers' attention on food crops.

The need to rejuvenate the sector is important as at least 85% of Afghanistan's population depends on agriculture and natural resource-based activities for its livelihood. They also currently account for about 50% of GDP. But more than 20 years of conflict and turmoil, along with a four-year drought and poor resource management, have left agricultural productivity low.

Rural infrastructure, including traditional irrigation systems, is severely damaged and water resources are being inefficiently used.

A key requirement for agricultural production is management of water resources through controlled surface runoff, impoundments, canals, and underground irrigation systems, known as karezes.

"Communities have long established systems to operate and maintain the irrigation systems, which have been severely damaged," Ms. Walton adds.

"However, they lack the financial resources to undertake repairs on the required scale."

The project will infuse cash to the local economy and provide short-term jobs for up to 45,000 people. But around 150,000 families dependent on agriculture-based activities will reap the long-term benefits of improved irrigation.

Access to reliable water supply will enable households to improve their agricultural productivity and provide much-needed household drinking water.

The project's outcome will contribute to the design of an ADB loan on irrigated agriculture in the pipeline for 2005. ADB is the lead agency responsible for the natural resource management sector in Afghanistan and has approved five JFPR grants for Afghanistan since 2002.

The JFPR was set up in 2000 with an initial contribution of Y10 billion (about US$90 million), followed by additional contributions of $155 million and a commitment of $50 million. The fund supports projects that target poor people and prioritizes innovative approaches.

More at adb.org/media

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