<p><a href="/en/afganistan/kabul" class="glossify-link">KABUL</a> National Disaster Management Authority (ANDMA) has signed a $9 million natural disaster prevention project, a statement said on Tuesday.</p>
<p>The project, “<em>ENHANCING DISASTER PREVENTION BY IMPROVING IRRIGATION AND WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AT THE COMMUNITY LEVEL,” </em>with a total amount of approximately 9 million USD (984 Million Japanese Yen), which will mitigate the impact of natural disasters on vulnerable communities, and provide technical support to enhance ANDMA’s response when natural disasters strike.</p>
<p>The three-year project from 2020-2022, funded by the Government of Japan, aims to reduce the risks posed by natural disasters in Afghanistan, focusing on selected communities in priority provinces. The communities will adopt prevention measures and increase agricultural productivity through improved irrigation systems.</p>
<p>According to the State Ministry for Disaster Management “The project’s focus on implementation of disaster risk reduction and irrigation systems, community-based disaster management and capacity building, and providing technical support to the national disaster management system will provide critical support to the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Afghan people. More than 30 local communities will be protected from the risk of disaster relief, and trainings and equipment for early warning, search and rescue and first aid operations will be given.”</p>
<p>Afghanistan is one of the most disaster-prone countries in Asia, facing earthquakes, floods, droughts, landslides, sandstorms and avalanches. The UN estimates that approximately 250,000 Afghans are affected by natural disasters every year.</p>
<p>It is expected that 30 communities across targeted provinces will benefit from community-based disaster risk management activities under the project.</p>
<p>IOM will work with the communities to minimize disaster risks by construction of small-scale disaster risk mitigation infrastructure and irrigation systems, and through capacity building and technical support to ANDMA’s National Disaster Management Information System (NDMIS) across the country.</p>
<p>Mr. Takahashi Yoshiaki, Chargé de’ Affaires ad interim of the Embassy of Japan in Afghanistan, remarked “I believe that enhancing ‘disaster-literacy’ is a key to defend people from natural disasters.</p>
<p>This project aiming at reaching out community level and guiding how to make hazard-map etc. must be matched with this concept.”</p>
<p>IOM has gained extensive experience in recent years constructing flood protection walls, culverts and canal across Afghanistan which is highly successful in preventing flood damage, and their construction has the added benefit of providing employment for thousands of local laborers.</p>
<p>The project will also provide technical Support (provision of internet to 34 ANDMA provincial offices, deployment of IT and database to dedicated staff and Training of up to 90 ANDMA provincial offices and main office staff on National Disaster Management Information System (NDMIS) Country-wide.</p>
<p>Ms. Fathima Nusrath Ghazzali from IOM stated “The project is an important initiative towards strengthening the resilience of disaster-prone communities and is meant to reach the most vulnerable Afghans affected by variety of natural disasters each year. This project is also in continuation of previous funding from the people of Japan and will build on the gains of that project, which also focused on community resilience and reached over 350,000 people in 57 disaster-prone communities.”</p>
<p>ANDMA is the main disaster management body within the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. IOM and ANDMA have worked in close partnership on natural disaster prevention and response since 2008. IOM has provided relief for over one million natural disaster-affected and displaced persons in Afghanistan since 2008.</p>
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