Sheladia Associates, Inc. has been awarded a contract to provide technical assistance for the Panj-Amu River Basin Sector Project (P-ARBP). This $76,000,000 contract, with a seven-year implementation period is financed through the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the European Union (EU). The project’s main objective is to support the Government of Afghanistan (GoA) through the Ministry of Energy and Water (MEW) and Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock (MAIL) in increasing agricultural productivity by improving the quality of irrigated cultivated land and sustainable management of natural resources in the Panj-Amu River Basin.
Afghan agriculture has been suffering from low productivity, with crop yields below the world average and limited crop diversification, due to inefficient water resource management and inadequate irrigation infrastructure. Food insecurity is widespread throughout Afghanistan; including some areas of Panj-Amu River Basin, located northeast of the country. The project is set out to improve food security, self-sufficiency, substitute imports for wheat, and increase exports of high-value products, such as fruit and nuts.
The project objectives will be achieved through three outputs, including: (i) water allocation and availability improved; (ii) command areas enhanced; and (iii) watersheds properly managed and protected. These outputs are expected to significantly increase irrigated areas, cropping intensities, and yields for wheat, rice, vegetable, and fruit crops, as well as to enhance higher value cash crops for export. In addition, the project will result in increased cropping intensities, irrigated areas, and crop yields on a command area of 74,500 hectares and as a result, increase annual farm incomes in the range $123-$615 per household for over 55,000 households.
With our industry-leading experience in institutional strengthening and water resources management in Afghanistan, along with our global experience, enables us to apply best practices for successful project implementation. Providing wide-ranging expertise on numerous projects in Afghanistan since 2002, Sheladia will deliver a safe, efficient, and sustainable irrigation system. We look forward to supporting the agricultural needs in Afghanistan and working on this important consultancy project.