10 November 2010 - Japan signed a JPY1 1,356, 000, 000 yen, approximately USD 16,000,000 agreement with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) today in the presence of the Minister of Energy and Water (MEW).

This is a testimony to the Government of Japan’s continued commitment to support Afghanistan’s efforts to tackle the root causes of food insecurity through development of agriculture.

The goal of the project is to enhance food security by raising agricultural production and productivity. At operational level, the purpose is to expand irrigation coverage with reliable and adequate water supply through improved irrigation facilities. Ultimately, it will also help increase peace and stability in Afghanistan through food security at different levels.

The project has four main components:

(i) Water conservation and utilization at river valley level,
(ii) Irrigation rehabilitation covering 24,000 ha of land in selected valleys,
(iii) Community based micro hydropower schemes 500 KW of electricity in selected rivers valley,
(iv) Capacity development for MEW to design and implement irrigation and water resource development programmes.

The project will directly cover 20,000 households (150,000 people) in selected Valleys of Kabul and Bamyan provinces of Afghanistan. Particular efforts will be made to ensure that project design and implementation are fully sensitive to vulnerable groups and returnee farmers and that benefit streams are shared equitably among different farmers groups. Equal numbers of households are expected to benefit from the project indirectly by participating in construction works and increased labour force requirement to sustain the irrigated agriculture.

The Exchange of Note and Grant Agreement, entitled “Programme for Improvement of Irrigation Systems and Construction of Micro-hydro Power Facilities in Kabul and Bamyan Provinces”, was signed today in Kabul by the Ambassador of Japan to Afghanistan, H.E. Mr. Shigeyuki Hiroki, the Resident Representative of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Afghanistan, Mr. Nobuhiko Hanazato, and the FAO Representative in Afghanistan, Mr. Tekeste G. Tekie and the Minister of Energy and Water (MEW) of Afghanistan, H.E. Mr. Mohammad Ismail Khan the Minister of Energy and Water.

“The Government has set a high priority on national water resources and irrigation development under the Agriculture and Rural Development Cluster Strategy. We are grateful to the people of Japan for providing funds to achieve our goal to expand the national coverage of irrigated land,” said H.E. Mr. Mohammad Ismail Khan.

Japan has been dedicated to the development of agriculture in Afghanistan as one of the highest priority sectors of Japan’s assistance program. In June, Japan also provided 11.1 million USD of assistance to boost agricultural productivity in Afghanistan with the provision of quality agricultural inputs, training and technology transfer through FAO. These projects will contribute directly to the Government of Afghanistan’s (GoA) Poverty Reduction Strategy and the new project will also contribute directly to the MEW’s ongoing key priority areas outlined in its policies, strategies and master plans.