Approximately 80% of the population of Afghanistan directly relies on the natural resource base of the country to meet its daily needs. In Afghanistan livelihoods are under threat by the alarming degree of environmental degradation caused by a combination of conflict, poverty, population growth and survival tactics. The Norwegian government plans to increase its efforts within environmental programmes.
Lack of basic natural resources, such as clean water or trees, has lead to the collapse of many rural livelihoods, turning many people into environmental refugees and increasing population pressures in urban centres. The decline in the country’s natural resource based has increased vulnerability to natural disasters and food shortages, thereby further increasing poverty and decreasing opportunities for sustainable livelihoods. Human health is also directly threatened by pollution and inadequate waste management and sanitation practices. Afghanistan’s wildlife heritage is also under threat. The legal status of the few protected areas is currently in question and the Afghanistan’s wildlife and biodiversity needs protection.
The challenges are many. The damage to the water resources of the country is immense. Drought, uncoordinated and unmanaged extraction of ground and surface water, waste dumps and open sewers has resulted in a water crisis. The forests are severely reduced due to war and illegal harvesting. This is critical as the forests and woodlands of Afghanistan provides key resources for the livelihoods, in addition to the fact that forests prevent land from eroding and maintain an ecological balance in ecosystems and water catchments areas.
The Norwegian Government has decided to increase its focus on programs which can give an effective progress of the environmental situation in Afghanistan. Present support is channelled through various NGO programs in different provinces in Afghanistan, in which Faryab province has a special priority. The main focus is water and sanitation and some on re-foresting. The plans for the coming years are to increase the effort into national environmental programs.
Fostermum in Faizabad, Badakhshan 2007 (GAP). Photo by the Norwegian Afghanistan Committee
Norwegian support:
The Embassy in cooperation with the civilian part of the PRT in Maimana has initiated a program of drinking water, irrigation and sanitation in Faryab province. A special team from Norad, Oslo, is assisting in this effort. The team released a report “Analysis of the Water Situation in Faryab Province, Afghanistan” which will be the basis for the support of ongoing and future programs in the province.
Two NGO receives funds from the Norwegian Government for their programs in Faryab. The Norwegian Church Aid emphasise both on projects concerning drinking water, irrigation and sanitation including health education to the population in three districts in Faryab. In addition NCA will run some pilot project concerning the problem of salinity in water. The other organisation is Dacaar and their program of drinking water and sanitation in four districts in Faryab.
In addition the Norwegian Government supports water and sanitation programs in Badakshahn province managed by the Norwegian Afghanistan Committee. The same NGO has also included a small re-forestation program in Badakhshan based on using widowed women an opportunity for a livelihood as “foster-mums” for tree seedling nursing projects.
The Norwegian Church Aid has also included water and sanitation in their programs in the provinces of Daikundi and Uruzgan.
In addition Norway supports several programs of renewable energy, which do have an important environmental impact. These programs are described under the topic of “energy”.
Other Relevant Documents:
Norwegian Embassy