Infrastructure

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Program Description

The Challenge

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; and some mountain villagers have to walk two weeks to the closest road.  However, Afghanistan has made incredible progress in the past four years.

The Goal

In 2007, USAID aims to rehabilitate and expand power generation and transmission systems, fund ongoing metering and capacity building activities, procure fuel in four principal urban areas, and fund one secondary road and three provincial roads. Specific goals include:

Roads

• Expedite reconstruction of important roadway links
• Increase mobility, national security, stability
• Reduce transportation costs
• Support regional trade/economic growth by building internal provincial links and land bridge with Pakistan and northern neighbors
• Improve capacity/efficiency of sector to support development of other sectors

Energy

• Provide the least-cost power solution through a combination of Afghan-generated power, the North-East Power System (NEPS) and the South-East Power System (SEPS)
• NEPS:  Establish power purchase agreements with the northern neighbors of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan for the purchase of low-cost power supply.  Fund transmission lines with other donors on NEPS transmission.
• NEPS & SEPS: Establish sustainable operation and maintenance programs for power generation, transmission, and distribution

The Program

Reconstruction in Afghanistan is a huge endeavor. Construction can be delayed due to intense snows or floods or disrupted by insurgent attacks. The remoteness of villages and severe weather creates enormous engineering and transporting challenges. USAID uses locally available materials and trains Afghans to construct roads and courthouses 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 continue, USAID is shifting its focus to improve energy and power. The building and refurbishing of infrastructure boosts economic growth and agricultural yields, connects rural Afghans to services, and provides schools, clinics, and courthouses for its citizens.

• RECONSTRUCTING ROADS:  USAID is reconstructing a regional and national road system which links the major cities and economic centers. The “Ring Road” is a crucial transportation link between the different regions of Afghanistan. Once it is finished 60 percent of Afghans will live within 50 kilometers of it. As of August 2007 USAID has completed more than 700 km of the Ring Road linking Kabul to Kandahar and Kandahar to Herat. Three-quarters of the employees working on this project are Afghans gaining technical expertise. USAID is also reconstructing 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 and preserved the freshness of fruits and vegetables through refrigeration and storage. To date, USAID has built over 100 market collection centers and more than 50 refrigerated facilities. Over 5,000 km of agricultural canals and karezes, tunnels that deliver water from underground aquifers, have been cleaned and restored. USAID installed over 15 km of water pipelines and provides water to Kabul, Kandahar, Ghazni, and Gardez with support from the ministries. The completion of more than 1,500 wells and 3,000 latrines boosts health and sanitation.
• ENERGY:  Bolstering Afghanistan’s energy sector through rehabilitating infrastructure and building the capacity of the energy workforce will be critical to the economic growth of the country.
  • USAID is rehabilitating Kajaki hydroelectric dam in Helmand, which will help to supply power to the southern part of the country to an estimated 1 million beneficiaries.
  • In Nangarhar, work is underway in rehabilitating the Darunta hydroelectric power station near Jalalabad. When finished, it will provide power to approximately 100,000 people.
  • In Kabul, USAID funded nearly $3 million in repairs and spare parts to the city’s northwest power station, a critical source of electricity for the country’s capital.
  • USAID provided over $125 million since November 2003 in emergency fuel to Kabul, Kandahar, Lashkar Gah, and Qalat.
  • USAID is providing technical assistance and other components for the North-East Power System (NEPS), a $700 million multi-donor effort that will provide expanded access to reliable, low-cost energy. USAID is also funding more than 150 km of transmission lines at an estimated cost of over $80 million along with other donor efforts for the South-East Power System (SEPS).
  • USAID programs are providing training in diesel fuel procurement, as well as technical training to diesel generator operators.
  • Additionally, the construction of a complex that will house the Afghan Energy Training Center, operated under the Ministry of Energy and Water with the Afghan Geological Survey, will help develop Afghanistan’s natural energy reserves.
  • Lastly, USAID is helping Afghans develop and implement an appropriate billing and collection system in Kabul.
• TELECOMMUNICATIONS:  Communications networks are now operational in over 200 districts across all 34 provinces. This marks the first step in the installation of provincial and district telecommunications 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, Kandahar, and Mazar-e Sharif will stimulate investment and minimize potential business risk to investors.  Further, the use of local labor for construction projects creates jobs, increases the use of local companies, and builds construction skills and capacity in local communities.
• DEMOCRACY AND GOVERNANCE:  USAID is building judicial and administrative buildings to promote democratic reforms and extend the rule of law. USAID constructed 40 judicial buildings including courthouses, Ministry of Justice offices and prosecutors’ offices. An additional ten mixed-use district administration buildings and two courthouses are under construction. USAID established over 30 radio stations to inform and encourage citizen participation. 
• EDUCATION AND HEALTH:  USAID has constructed over 650 schools and over 650 clinics to promote a better educated and healthier population. The rehabilitated Kabul Women’s Dormitory is capable of providing housing for more than 1,000 women and enables those from rural villages to attend college in Kabul.