Afghanistan is the second most flood-prone country in the world. Next to Bhutan, this country has one of the highest number of flood-related deaths per million people every year. Its landscape and climate make it prone to flooding as water from heavy rains and melted snow merge in the spring and crash down onto villages and farms. Every year, the country incurs heavy losses due to the inundation of homes and crops.
One of the worst flooding in the country happened in April to early June 2014. Heavy rains fell over many areas of Northern Afghanistan, causing severe flash floods, widespread destruction, and loss of lives. The 2014 northern floods were exceptionally severe and were regarded locally as a 1 in 100-year event.
Interventions
ADB, in partnership with the Afghanistan Infrastructure Trust Fund, initiated the Northern Flood-Damaged Infrastructure Emergency Rehabilitation Project to help the country recover. The project assisted the government in rehabilitating small-scale irrigation and rural road infrastructure in 27 of the worst-affected provinces. It also helped repair larger-scale irrigation system infrastructure in three provinces.
The project constructed canals, intakes, retaining walls, and dams. It also built or repaired weirs, aqueducts, and siphons. In addition, it rebuilt roads, bridges and culverts. These activities not only repaired damaged irrigation structures, they also protected the land from further erosion and restored assets so that hampered economic activities could restart soonest.
Results
The interventions brought immediate improvements in the welfare of those affected by the floods. Their communities and farmlands were restored, as well as people’s access to markets. Through the project, more than 82,939 hectares of flood-affected irrigable area of small scale irrigation (172 % of the target) and more than 16,500 ha of flood-affected irrigable areas of formal or large scale irrigation have been brought back to production. Moreover, the project has also generated jobs for the people, creating over 2 million labor days and about 81,231 direct and indirect jobs.