OVERVIEW

The Strengthening Watershed and Irrigation Management (SWIM) project supports sustainable, agriculture-led economic growth by increasing the sustainable and productive use of water and strengthening water resource management in northern Afghanistan. Specifically, SWIM rehabilitates water infrastructure, strengthens the water regulatory environment; and increases the technical expertise of local entities to manage water resources.

ACTIVITIES

• Rehabilitate poor performing irrigation infrastructure and restore fragile and degraded-upland watersheds
• Conduct outreach campaigns, to strengthen the water regulatory framework in Afghanistan
• Establish and train irrigation associations, water user associations, and forestry associations on sustainable water management and to resolve conflicts through community-based natural resource management practices
• Support the Government of Afghanistan to strengthen water resource management capacity and coordinate with the USAID Regional Agriculture Development Programs to increase agricultural water productivity
• Provide grants to communities and non-governmental organizations, including women groups, for community watershed management

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Rehabilitated two out of four irrigation schemes in three provinces
• Completed 14,330 Topographic Surveys
• Developed eight Integrated Watershed Management Plans
• Trained seven civil servants on four modules of basic and advanced training on water evaluation and planning tools
• Trained 42 ( including 9 women) of MAIL, MEW and NEPA staff
• Embedded five staff at NEPA
• Trained more than 11,160 farmers on-farm and watershed management
• Leveled 559.5 hectares of precision land.
• Established more than 70 IAs and WUAs
• Established 13 Water User Associations (WUAs) and Irrigation Associations (IAs)
• Installed nearly 60 demonstration plots with improved drip irrigation
• Trained 500 lead farmers on improved irrigation practices
• Established six women’s groups to provide a platform for irrigation trainings