Story by: U.S. Army Sgt. Andrea Merritt
7th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
WARDAK PROVINCE, Afghanistan – In the 1970s, Afghanistan, then known as the “Orchard of Central Asia,” was an agricultural goldmine that thrived as a major exporter of dried fruits and nuts.
After decades of war, drought and deforestation, much of the land became unsuitable for farming. The hills in many areas, once lined with rich green vegetation, are now a dry, barren shadow of the country’s former glory.
Through the years, government, non-government and military organizations have assisted Afghans in restoring the agricultural climate through watershed projects in various regions.
A watershed is a landform with highpoints and ridgelines that descend into lower elevations. After rainfalls and snowmelts, the water flows down into soil, groundwater, creeks and streams to larger rivers, eventually channeling into the sea.
Members of the Global Partnership for Afghanistan, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division, Task Force Bobcat, visited Sra Kala village in the Sayed Abad district, Oct. 11 to assess a watershed selected to undergo restoration this winter.
“There is a need for water and watershed programs can increase the water supply and improve the ecosystem,” said U.S. Army 1st Lt. Christopher Davis, mortar platoon leader and battalion civil affairs officer, 2nd Bn., 5th Inf. Regt., 3rd Bde., 1st Armd. Div.
Since 2010, the GPFA has launched 17 small water projects in 19 villages in Wardak province. In partnership with the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, USAID and other agencies, the GPFA water projects have affected more than 15,000 families in the province.
“In 2008, we traveled to different provinces like Wardak and Logar,” said Thomas Bevier, field program officer with USAID. “Throughout many studies we heard the same theme from people who worked on farms and it all came back to water.”
“The civil affairs cell conducted assessments and found there was an over demand on natural resources,” Bevier explained. “There is a critical water shortage and we looked to different solutions, one being to re-establish watersheds.”
Due to deforestation, overgrazing and other factors, 98 percent of the trees in Afghanistan have disappeared in the last 30 years. Since there aren’t many trees or other types of vegetation, soil is exposed to the elements causing erosion.
As a result of the erosion, farmers are unable to cultivate the land and grow crops. In a country where 85 percent of the population relies on agriculture as their main source of income, restoring the watersheds could help rebuild the economy, Bevier said.
“The great thing about this program is it’s not temporary. It can create trees, rivers and grasslands,” said Davis, a Victorville, Calif., native. “The area could start seeing results in just five years. In ten years, there will be large trees, more water and more arable land.”
To generate local interest in the watershed program, GPFA members engage local and provincial leaders as well as farmers and teach them different ways to increase farm productivity. As Afghan natives, GPFA members have a distinct advantage in getting around the country and relating to the people.
Jawid Ahmad, a native of Sayed Abad district, and GPFA member program support services manager, is glad to be a part of the project and help his community.
“In the past there were lots of forests in Sayed Abad. I am from here. The hills were covered in trees,” said Ahmad. “Nothing is impossible if we try to get back to that level. We just need to support and to teach people how to do that.”
A key component to the program is community involvement. The locals will be actively engaged in the restoration process by working the land and planting grass and trees.
“The watershed project will employ the locals,” Davis said. “They will work the land and have property rights to the land as long as they keep working it.”
If the project is a success, the people of Sra Kala will be able to sustain themselves with the crops they produce, rebuild their economic status, and build a brighter, greener future.
“It will provide them dignity, a sense of accomplishment and pride in themselves,” Bevier said. “The quality of life will get better. It will lead to a capacity to rebuild the economy and increased health; but the key thing is hope. It will give them hope.”
| Date Taken: | 10.11.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 10.14.2011 19:41 |
| Story ID: | 78513 |
| Location: | WARDAK PROVINCE, AF |
| Web Views: | 131 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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