Rescuing Tatamdara Canal in Parwan
In the heart of Parwan Province, settled within Charikar district, lies the village of Tatamdara. The prosperity of this community of 3500 families (including 200 widowed household heads) is closely linked to the lifeline of a 27.4-kilometer canal.
The very existence of this important waterway was under danger. Its intake in the Ghorband riverwas in serious risk of being washed away by spring floods, that could also destroy the fragile riverbanks separating the canal from the adjacent river, endangering the sustenance of 8,000 hectares of agricultural land spread across 15 local villages.
An intervention was thus urgently required. It was funded through an agreement between the World Bank-managed Afghanistan Resilience Trust Fund and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to improve surface water management throughout Afghanistan. A private construction company was contracted to shield the canal from imminent disaster.
The solution came in the form of a 150-meter-long gabion riverbank protection wall, built from April to November 2023. The success of this intervention is not just measured in the safeguarding the canal; it also contributed to the protection of livelihoods, the preservation of agricultural heritage, and the empowerment of thousands of families.
Mr Shamsullah, a beneficiary, expresses his satisfaction with the project. "Since the canal was under serious threat and we, the people, could not afford the cost to protect it, we were relieved to see that FAO came to survey the site and decided to build this gabion wall. We saw engineers involved, and a professional construction company carried out the work, so we have confidence it is well built and will protect us."
In Parwan province, the FAO has constructed a total of 18 irrigation structures in different locations – these include other riverbank protection walls, canals and intakes. In addition, FAO organized the construction of 247 minor check dams using dry stone masonry and gabion techniques; on average, each of these dams can store up to ten cubic meters of water when it rains. FAO has also provided cash for work to communities to excavate 391,656 trenches in locations decided by FAO’s hydrological engineers; each trench can store up to 0.75 cubic meters of water. Their aim is to capture rainwater descending mountain slopes to restore groundwater resources and reduce the impact of floods.
Furthermore, as part of this initiative, 84 structures prioritized by communities – bridges, culverts and clothes washing places for women – have been built in Parwan. The washing places allow girls and women to wash clothes, clean carpets, and spend some time together outside of their homes.
As part of this project, short-term employment was offered to 10,826 residents, 1,077 of whom were female. Men participated in the excavation of trenches and the construction of minor dry stone check dams and gabion check dams, while women engaged in the weaving of gabions. This provided much-needed cash to inhabitants.
The outcomes of this project activity have left an obvious effect on the fields of Tatamdara and neighbouring villages. It shows how global institutions such as the World Bank can collaborate with local communities, through the intermediary of FAO and its partners, to implement climate-mitigation measures and strengthen rural livelihoods in Afghanistan.