AGA KHAN DEVELOPMENT NETWORK

Riverbank stabilisation

In simultaneous projects on each side of the Pyanj River, riverbank stabilisation was carried out to protect farmland, villages and critical infrastructure, in areas threatened by seasonal flooding.

Cross-border bridges and market infrastructure

Under an agreement between the Afghan and Tajik governments and His Highness the Aga Khan, five sites along the Pyanj River were identified for cross-border bridges in 2002. Over the past 10 years, AKDN and the two governments have been working torenovate or construct these bridges, and facilitate cross-border trade and exchange. In 2011, with support from PATRIP, a fourth cross-border bridge at Vanj was completed and construction of the fifth at Shurabad was initiated. At Vanj and Shurabad, the PATRIP Foundation is supporting construction of market infrastructure to support cross-border trade.

Cross-Border energy

AKDN is rehabilitating 30 km of its electricity grid in Tajikistan in order to extend electricity services across the Pyanj River to 3,000 customers in the Afghan district centre of Mohi Mai and surrounding areas.

Cross-Border-Energy_AfghTaj_Georg FiebigRoad from Shugnan to Mohi Mai
In coordination with local government, AKDN surveyed an existing route from the district centre of Shughnan to the edge of Mohi Mai district, and agreed on sections to construct or improve that would make the road passable by cars.

Economic opportunities – market infrastructure and study

Over the past few years AKDN and others (governments, donors, INGOs) have implemented a variety of projects focusing on cross-border cooperation, many of which have focused on the critical infrastructure needed to facilitate economic and social development, thus acting as a catalyst for significant developments in the region. PATRIP and AKDN have also undertaken a comprehensive assessment of the needs and opportunities for regional cooperation in Tajik and Afghan Badakhshan.

Cross-border livestock development

The cross-border region is heavily dependent on agriculture and livestock. While Gorno-Badakhshan has had access to a variety of agro-veterinary services and livestock health training programmes since Soviet times, Afghan Badakhshan has never had access to these kinds of services, and still rely heavily on traditional veterinary methods that lack medical diagnosis.
With PATRIP support, AKDN has strengthened or established veterinary service centres in these cross-border districts. For the first time, Afghan farmers are able to bring their livestock for vaccination and other medical treatment, helping to improve their health. Farmers are also informed about the best ways to prevent diseases and the most appropriate fodder to ensure healthy herds.