Adaptation to Climate Change Driven
Consequences at Field Level in Afghanistan
Project; Building Adaptive Capacity and
Resilience to Climate Change
Zolfaqar Baloch
National Environmental Protection
Agency, Islamic Republic of
Afghanistan
Adaptation to Climate Change Driven Consequences
at Field Level in Afghanistan
Information about Afghanistan
• Afghanistan’s population is around 29.8 M
• Agriculture: Largest sector contributing 32.5% of GDP
and employing 78.6% of labor
• GDP growth is volatile due to high dependence on
unreliable rain-fed agricultural production
• 80% of the land has highly erodible soils, irregular rainfall
events and soil erosion as a result of tectonic activity
Afghanistan info continued
• About 3.3 million ha (5% of land) is irrigated and
regularly cropped, while 4.5 million ha (7%) is rain-fed
• More than 80% of water resources originate in the
Hindu Kush mountains
• lowest water storage capacity - Losses 2/3 of its water
resources
• Poor rain/snowfall hampered cereal production in
2008/09
Climate Change Impacts on Afghanistan
• An increase in both the rate of incidence and the duration of
drought periods - (Ref: NAPA & NCSA Report)
• An increase in the mean annual temperature by 0.6°C since
1960 – (Ref: NAPA & NCSA Report)
• Increase in the frequency of hot days and nights by 25 days per
year – (Ref: NAPA & NCSA Report)
• A moderate reduction in rainfall (0.5 mm/month) at a national
scale – (Ref: INC)
• Seasonal variation has caused extreme snowfall, floods and
droughts - (DFID, 2009).
Project Sites
Field Adaptation Challenges
1.
2.
3.
CC has severe impacts on
water sector
Rural communities
presently lack the CC
knowledge, Technical
capacity, management
capacity and physical and
financial resources
overcome and withstand
the impacts of climate
change needs the following
Baseline Assessment
• Provincial and Community level understanding
on CCA is very low
• Traditional agriculture and irrigation practices
are applied
• Water management at water shed level is
quite low
• community conservation and restoration plans
does not exist
Site Selection
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Poverty,
Community agricultural dependence,
Water shortage,
Population pressure,
Incidence of drought and climate hazards,
Public awareness and education, and
Human health.
MOU/Agreement
• Identification of Social Organizations
• Developing Project Agreements
• Signing Agreements with government and community
involvement
• Implementation of Activities and Change Management
as the project progresses to learn from progress
• Closure and wrap up
Field Activities
• construction of suitable water structures e.g. stone bunds, soil
berms and gabions
Field Activities
• Micro-catchment techniques e.g. catchment ponds, contour
bunds and strip-crop
Field Activities
Community
conservation and
restoration plans
Field Activities
Ecological restoration
Field Activities
• Planting multiple-benefit plant
species
 Pistachio
 Afghan ash
 Salt tree
 Black poplar
 White poplar
 Bombay Black wood
 Salt tree
 Persian turpentine tree
 Russian olive
 Desert teak
 Forest oak
 False acacia
Field Activities
Terracing
Field Activities
Affordable Micro Irrigation Technologies (AMIT)
Images courtesy of ICARDA
Additional
Activities
Identified
during
Assessment
Additional
Activities
Identified
during
Assessment
Continued
Thanks