In Afghanistan, the Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH) − previously Focus Humanitarian Assistance − engages with communities living in remote mountainous areas to increase their resilience to natural disasters and complex emergencies. The Aga Khan Agency for Habitat also supports communities to utilize an enabling habitat to enhance their health, education and economic development.
The approach is to predict where possible potential emergencies may impact homes and livelihoods, identify structural and non-structural interventions that can prevent or mitigate the impact of those hazards, and to build the capacities of communities and local and national governments to reduce their vulnerability to risk and to increase their capacities to help their neighbours.
To enable this, AKAH implements a wide range of disaster prevention and response initiatives in local communities, including disaster preparedness trainings, vulnerability assessments, risk mitigation activities and disaster relief efforts.
Afghanistan is prone to multiple natural hazards, and continues to be highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, which has led to an increase in the number of natural disasters.
These programmes protect communities against natural hazards by promoting disaster resilience and building government capacity to prepare for and respond to disasters. The Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH) practices a holistic approach and implements a comprehensive model comprising of community-based DRR activities, school and hospital safety initiatives, local government capacity building and advocacy at the national level for mainstreaming of DRR into policy and programming across all sectors. AKAH also seeks to reduce the risk of hazards and disasters that threaten local communities.
Through the use of participatory tools and methodologies, a Hazard Vulnerability Risk Assessment is conducted with community members to identify and analyse risks through historical data collection and mapping.
Communities are also engaged in the process of identifying evacuation routes and safe havens and the establishing of Community-Based Emergency Response Teams (CERTs). AKAH trains CERTs to be the primary responders in the event of localized disasters.
Upon completion of community assessments and mitigation exercises, AKAH facilitates the process of developing a Disaster Management Plan that is used by communities to plan for various natural hazards. In addition, the agency works with community members to raise their awareness on disaster preparedness through various community and school-based activities, such as interactive theatre shows and school competitions.
The Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH) builds the capacity of community members to mitigate risks, prepare for disasters and act as first responders when disasters occur. Community Based Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) are established, equipped and trained in first aid and search and rescue.
To ensure an effective response to large-scale disasters, the agency works with district and provincial authorities to build capacity in the areas of disaster assessment, information management, emergency response management, and coordination and communication. This is done through establishing mechanisms for emergency response, undertaking simulation exercises and mock drills, and providing specialised training to relevant government departments.
In close collaboration with the Government of Afghanistan at local and national level, and with the financial support of various donors, AKAH works to identify and implement community-based disaster risk management activities to help prepare communities in high-risk zones to mitigate hazards and be able to respond to natural hazards effectively.
- Hazard and Vulnerability Risk Assessments (HVRAs) conducted in over 574 communities in Badakhshan, Baghlan, Takkhar, Kunduz, Samangar and Bamyan, covering a total population of 310,000 people;
- Village Disaster Management Plans (VDMPs) have been covering safe havens and escape routes have been implemented in more than 421 villages across four provinces, reaching almost 200,000 people;
- The agency has implemented 104 structural mitigation projects in 81 villages across Badakhshan and Baghlan. These projects are small-scale risk mitigation activities, and include the clearing of debris flow channels, bridges and terracing against avalanches. A total of 40,335 people in Afghanistan have directly benefitted from these projects;
- Together with the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development in Nepal, the agency has established three community-based flood early warning systems (EWSs), in order to provide communities living along river banks with advance warning of rising water levels;
- In partnership with the United Nations Development Programme, AKAH carried out the first post-disaster needs assessment in Afghanistan following the floods and landslides in Jawjan area of Badakhshan. AKAH was involved in drafting the disaster recovery plan for the affected community;
- AKAH carried out the first community-based climate change assessment in the Central Highlands region and Badakhshan, which helped to understand the impact of climate change on these areas, and has been a key document in the risk reduction planning process;
- Capacity building trainings have been conducted and 461 Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) established and equipped, bringing together a total of over 10,492 members (with just over 40% constituting women) in four provinces: Samangan, Takhar, Badakhshan and Baghlan;
- AKAH has established School Disaster Management Committees in 84 schools, and has helped to create School Disaster Management Plans for each of these schools, to ensure they are prepared to act during a natural disaster;
- AKAH has conducted awareness projects in 100 schools, though school seminars, competitions and interactive projects to raise awareness around disaster preparedness;
- School seismic retrofitting projects have been carried out in five schools in Afghanistan; and
- At a policy level, AKAH has worked closely with the State Ministry for Disaster Management and Humanitarian Affairs (formerly known as Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority) to mainstream disaster risk reduction into the development planning process.
To address one of the most important health issues in Afghanistan – water and sanitation – the AKDN has constructed more than 1,000 wells and built or reconstructed more than 30 drinking water supply systems.
This objective is especially important to women, many of whom must walk several kilometres to fetch water. By creating systems that are simple to maintain, the programme enables communities to manage the supply infrastructure. Other objectives include proper sanitation, hygienic waste disposal and improved health practices. Programmes start only after discussion with village communities. The Network provides the initial materials and technical advice. The community contributes labour for construction and signs an undertaking for maintenance, for which training is also provided. Pre- and post-implementation surveys have shown that the AKDN’s water and sanitation interventions helped reduce child mortality and morbidity by 50 percent in a one-year period.
The Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH) has strong relationships with the Government of Afghanistan at both national and provincial levels. AKAH works closely with the State Ministry for Disaster Management and Humanitarian Affairs (formerly known as Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority), the Ministry for Rural Rehabilitation and Development, and the Authority for Civil Aviation.
- Is one of the primary response institutions and active within the Provincial Disaster Management Committee, contributing to the disaster risk strategy at the provincial level;
- Is an active member of the Disaster Risk Reduction Platform in Afghanistan, and is one of the core partners contributing to Disaster Risk Re-education on the national and international levels;
- Co-chairs the Disaster Risk Reduction Clusters for Food Security and Agriculture; and
- Collaborates with various local and international institutes including the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development and the Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre.
