Header image: Richard Pohle/The Times

For the past few years, Mohammad Amin's village had been facing a pressing issue affecting all areas of daily life, particularly the agricultural-dependent livelihoods of community members: water scarcity.

Lack of access to water has been ruining farmers' agricultural yields, increasing poverty and food insecurity. Additionally, ongoing conflict had erupted with a neighbouring village over a source of irrigation water for their farming lands, threatening stability in the area. With both villages competing for this precious resource, divisions had arisen between the communities, significantly impacting the wellbeing of residents. 

Across the country, severe and repeated climate change-induced droughts and lack of water storage infrastructure have meant that access to water has become increasingly more challenging, igniting tensions over shared resources. Recognising this challenge, Afghanaid met with local villagers and listening to their stories, problems and aspirations, designing a project to support them to meet their water needs whilst also strengthening social cohesion and reducing tensions over resources. 

Meeting water needs

Afghanaid worked alongside local community members to construct a 113-meter irrigation canal to better manage the flow of water. As well as ensuring water was not wasted through preventing absorption into the ground, the canals also enable the water travel further, so it can be shared more widely and fairly.

One of the irrigation canals built in Mohammad Amin's community

Over 2065 people directly benefitted from these canals. Crucially, the project created employment opportunities for 13 individuals who were hired as labourers to assist in the construction of the canal, supporting them to earn a reliable income across the duration of the project. This has had a positive immediate effect on the financial situations of rural households who had lost income due to low yields.

“Our community stands to gain significantly from the construction of this canal,” Mohammad Amin told us, “It will not only prevent soil erosion and flood damages, but also reduce conflicts among villagers and boost agricultural productivity. Most notably, it will irrigate 1000 jerib of fertile land, enhancing our capacity for wheat and barley production."

Nurturing relationships

It warms my heart to see how the committee has not only brought peace and unity but also created a sense of belonging and collective responsibility among the residents.

Recognising that achieving peace was just as critical as resolving water issues, Afghanaid also took proactive steps to ensure the restoration of harmonious village relations, forming a Community Conflict Mitigation Committee composed of eight trusted community members from all the relevant neighbourhoods. 

These individuals underwent specialised training in conflict resolution techniques, equipping them to effectively address and resolve any disputes. The committee quickly emerged as a stabilising force in the community. Whenever conflicts arose—whether concerning water distribution, land disputes, or other matters—the members intervened with conciliation skills and empathy. Their efforts not only continue to diffuse tensions, but Mohammad Amin feels they are also nurturing relationships of dialogue and cooperation among villagers. 

“It warms my heart to see how the committee has not only brought peace and unity but also created a sense of belonging and collective responsibility among the residents,” Mohammad Amin told us proudly, “As we look to the future, I am confident that this area will continue to thrive and serve as a beacon of hope for others."

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