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Afghanistan :: Restoring Infrastructure
INFRASTRUCTURE SNAPSHOT
Completed 715 km of the
Ring Road, roughly equivalent
to the distance between
Washington, D.C. and Boston
Built 605 km of canals and
340 km of irrigation structures
boosting agriculture
Built 40 courthouse and justice
facilities in 18 provinces
covering nearly 60% of the
population
Completed over 700 schools
and 675 health clinics
Infrastructure
Profile
(pdf - 165k)
CONTACTS
Mission Director
Robin Phillips
USAID/Kabul
6180 Kabul Place
Dulles, VA 20189-6180
Tel: 873-762-311955
Desk Officer
Caroline Brearley
Tel: (202) 712-0324
Email: cbrearley@usaid.gov
www.usaid.gov/afghanistan
Background
Decades of war, harsh climate conditions, and neglect due to poverty have left the country’s infrastructure in rubble and decay. In many remote areas, it was never developed at all. The lack of infrastructure has had a huge impact on Afghans who could not reach health facilities in time to give birth or farmers who could not get their produce to market before it spoiled. Most Afghans lack access to electricity or safe water; some mountain villagers have to walk two weeks to the closest road. However, Afghanistan has made incredible progress in the past five years.
Program Overview
Reconstruction in Afghanistan is a huge endeavor. Construction can be delayed due to intense weather or disrupted by insurgent attacks. The remoteness of villages and severe weather creates enormous engineering and transportation challenges. Whenever possible, USAID uses locally available materials and trains Afghans to construct roads and other infra-structure themselves to disengage dependence on foreign assistance.
USAID’s building of roads, schools, and clinics began in 2002 to show immediate progress to the Afghan people. While these programs con-tinue, USAID is shifting its focus to improve energy and power. The build-ing and refurbishing of infrastructure boosts economic growth and agricultural yields, connects rural Afghans to services, and provides schools, clinics, and courthouses for its citizens.
Reconstruction Roads
USAID is reconstructing a regional and national road system which links the major cities and economic centers. The “Ring-Road”, a highway that connects Kabul to Kandahar to Herat, is critical to trade in that 60 percent of Afghans live within 50 kilometers of this road. USAID has completed the 389 km link from Kabul to Kandahar and the 326 km section between Kandahar and Herat. Three-quarters of the employees working on this project are Afghans gaining technical expertise. USAID is also recon-structing provincial and district roads to help villagers in outlying areas of the country.
Water Management and Produce Storage
USAID has increased agricultural production through better irrigation. The construction of 605 km of canals and 340 irrigation structures have benefited farmers. USAID installed 18 km of water pipelines and provides water to Kabul, Kandahar, Ghazni, and Gardez with support from the ministries. The completion of 1,700 wells and 3,250 latrines boosts health and sanitation. To store the increased agricultural yields, USAID has built 147 storage and refrigeration units and market centers to preserve the freshness of fruits and vegetables.
Energy
Bolstering Afghanistan’s energy sector through rehabilitating infrastructure and building the capacity of the power sector workforce will be critical to the economic growth of the country.
USAID is rehabilitating Kajaki hydroelectric dam in Helmand, which will help supply power in the southern part of the country to about 1.7 million beneficiaries.
- In Nangarhar, work is underway in rehabilitating the Darunta hy-droelectric power station near Jalalabad. When finished, it will provide power to 9,000 customers.
- In Kabul, USAID is funding a 100 MW power station with a total project cost of $150 million, a critical source of electricity for the country’s capital. Additionally, USAID provided over $130 million since November 2003 in emergency fuel supplies.
- USAID is currently providing technical assistance for the North-east Power System (NEPS), a $700 million multi-donor effort. Other donors are financing the transmission lines for NEPS. Do-nors support will make low cost power available from the northern countries for the eastern part of the Afghanistan down to Kabul.
- USAID is developing gas supplies for Afghanistan and a 100 MW power station at Sheberghan.
USAID programs are providing training in diesel fuel procurement and technical training to diesel generator operators. Additionally, USAID con-structed a complex for the Afghan Energy Training Center, operated un-der the Ministry of Energy and Water with the Afghan Geological Survey.
Telecommunications
Communications networks are now operational in 26 of the 34 provinces. This marks the first step in the installation of provincial and district tele-communications networks, which will enhance private sector growth and assist local government. A number of Afghan universities are bridging to international universities through electronic alliances in a program that uses the internet to build the knowledge and skills of Afghans.
Economic Growth
Infrastructure development helps revive the economy. The construction of three industrial parks in Bagrami (Kabul), Kandahar, and Mazar-e Sharif will stimulate investment and minimize potential business risk to investors.
Democracy and Governance
USAID is building judicial and administrative buildings to promote democ-ratic reforms and extend the rule of law. USAID constructed 40 judicial buildings, including courthouses, Ministry of Justice offices, and prosecu-tors’ offices. An additional ten mixed-use district administration buildings and two courthouses are under construction. USAID established 36 radio stations to inform and encourage citizen participation.
Education and Health
USAID has constructed over 700 schools and 675 clinics to promote a better educated and healthier population. The rehabilitated Kabul Women’s Dormitory provides housing for 1,200 women and enables women from rural villages to attend one of seven colleges in Kabul.
Implementing Partners
More Information
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