Flood Control and Its Management in the Badakhshan Province of Afghanistan

Case study author, Kambiz Karimi takes a look at the broader country context and then brings focus to the Badakhshan province, an area that is one of the most climate-related disasters prone zones in Afghanistan. In Badakhshan province, landslides, avalanches, droughts, floods, and earthquake are recurring hazards, causing immense loss of live and property every year. According to National Vulnerability and Resource Assessment (NVRA) 2007–2008, Badakhshan province has the highest level of inequality in Afghanistan,  and is also one of the most food insecure provinces of Afghanistan. Flood reduction strategies must include strengthening poverty-alleviation programs—and targeting them to those residents most in need—to break the vicious cycle of poverty and disasters. They should aim to both maximize benefit coverage to the poor and minimize leakage of the benefits to the non-poor. Policy reforms proposed in the case study include: development of disaster management strategy at the national and local levels, improved water management and use efficiency, land and water management at the watershed level, and strengthened local planning and regulations among others.