Water management programme

Water resources management in Afghanistan is primarily irrigation water management. There is minimal industrial production and few settlements have a functioning water supply network - although there are plans to install these. This gives the Ministry of Irrigation, Water Resources and Environment, one of FAO's three counterparts, the predominant role in water management.

Traditional irrigation
FAO is helping local communities to repair canals and irrigation systems. This is an important part of community development because the management of these systems is based on traditions that include the division of water, shared responsibilities for the repair and maintenance of the systems and the settlement of disputes.

Formal irrigation
Formal, large-scale irrigation systems are those engineered between the 1950s and 1970s, mostly with the assistance of the USSR and the United States. Examples of these include the Helmand/Arghandab scheme developed in the southwest and the Ghazni scheme in the east central area.

In 2003, FAO completed comunity-based rehabilitation work on canals, improving irrigation water delivery to an estimated 12 000 farm families. Furthermore, 55 rural communities have been provided with water pumps to supply both drinking water and irrigation.

Training and capacity building
FAO's irrigation programmes place a high priority on training and capacity building of the staff of the Ministry of Irrigation, Water Resources and Environment (MIWRE). Irrigation infrastructures (kareze and canals) in two districts of Farah province are being rehabilitated from the damages caused by strong sandstorms in the summer of 2003.