River bank protection makes village safe from floods
Lowarty is a peaceful village located in the Batikot district of Nangarhar Province. If you travel 41km southeast of the dynamic city of Jalalabad, you'll find this quaint community. Like many places in Afghanistan, the heartbeat of Lowarty is its people and their close connection to the land. Farming is the main job here, and almost everyone, from children to the elderly, plays a part in tending to the fields. Beyond its picturesque landscapes, the village has been a silent witness to the relentless forces of nature, primarily the unyielding currents of the Speen-Khowar wash.
Living in Lowarty isn't without its challenges. Lowarty's people, predominantly subsisting on agriculture, live under the dual shadows of nature's wrath and financial hardship. Most families of Speen-Khowar villages struggle with incomes that barely suffice to put food on the table. Money is tight for most families. Parents often find it hard to earn enough to feed their children, buy clothes, or get medication when someone falls sick.
On top of that, they have another big worry: the river. Every year, when the rains come, the river floods. These floods can ruin crops, wash away roads, and even damage homes. In the recent seasonal flood, the aftermath was devastating: 200 hectares of fertile agricultural land were lost, 75 hectares of crops were destroyed, 30 families were robbed of their homes, and the lifelines of the village - a 200m road and a police checkpoint - reduced to ruins.
Seeing these struggles, The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) stepped in to help, and under the Emergency Food Security Project (EFSP), Speen-Khowar River bank protection was introduced. This wasn't just a project; it was a plan to make the village safer. The main job was to build strong protection walls next to the river to shield properties from the intense floods as well as to create employment opportunities for the village's residents, addressing immediate financial and nutritional needs.
Men and women, young and old, came together to work on this project. They learned new skills, like how to make and set up the protection walls. They earned money which helped them take better care of their families. People like Mr. Gul Mohammad are now much more hopeful.
“Thanks to the project, my crops are safe from floods. I am proud of the work I have done in this project. The village is safer, and many people have new skills that they can use to get other jobs in the future,” said Gul Ahmad while he expressed his gratitude alongside many others.
The echoes of change and progress reverberated throughout Lowarty. Residents began to see a brighter horizon, where their lands remained fertile and homes stood tall against nature's fury. More importantly, families experienced the joy of economic stability, as over 15 124 job opportunities sprouted from the project, infusing hope and prosperity into everyday life.
FAO is driven by a vision of infrastructural development. Recognizing places like Lowarty, where the intersection of nature's challenges and the human spirit takes center stage.
This project, funded by the World Bank empower communities, support them against nature's challenges, and pave the path for sustainable growth. By investing in such projects, FAO highlights its commitment to ensuring that every community, regardless of its challenges, has the tools and resources to carve out its success story.