In Afghanistan, every village has a mirab – a water master – who is in charge of managing local irrigation resources.  It is a critical function in this water-stressed country, as the majority of Afghans make their living from farming irrigated land.  Without proper management of the irrigation systems, food production and incomes would fall. 

On February 20-21, nearly 50 mirabs from villages in Nangarhar, Laghman, and Kunar provinces gathered for a USAID-facilitated workshop in Jalalabad to share their views on water management issues.  The workshop was the first of its kind in the country.  It was initiated by the Department of Irrigation in the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL), which oversees irrigation issues under Afghanistan’s Water Law.  Ultimately, such meetings will improve collective water use and allow mirabs to learn from each other’s experiences.

The mirabs discussed the key challenges they face, noting the need for new irrigation canals to bring uncultivated land to life, and the need to rehabilitate old irrigation systems filled with silt.  At the same time, they expressed pride in recent accomplishments made possible by funding from the U.S. Government, which enhanced their ability to export seedlings.  “Thanks for the support [USAID] provided for the Irrigation Department to have the mirabs’ conference,” commented Fayez Naseer Ahmad, MAIL’s Director of Irrigation.  “It was very useful and important for us.”