Directorate of Prevention and Risk Reduction

Objectives:

The Directorate of Prevention and Risk Reduction of Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority aims to reduce the extent of damage to affected individuals and establish a systematic, scientific and long-term framework to counter threats from natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, droughts and landslides. These objectives are pursued through identifying the causes of risks, assessing damages, strengthening the capacity of relevant institutions, raising public awareness, enhancing community resilience, expanding and accelerating early warning systems, enforcing laws and regulations for building reinforcement, and encouraging public participation in national and regional programs. As a result, an informed and resilient society is created to respond effectively to disasters, minimizing human, economic and environmental challenges to the greatest extent possible.

 

Key Activities:

• Identifying, documenting, studying and researching affected areas in Parwan province; assessing and surveying areas exposed to risks at the national level for the implementation of preventive projects and risk reduction.
• Implementing small-scale preventive projects before and after disasters in highly vulnerable areas to reduce risks, aimed at protecting agricultural lands, public infrastructure, residential buildings and saving human lives.
• In the fiscal year 1403 (2024-2025), implementing 18 preventive projects in Parwan, Takhar, Zabul, Kunar and Laghman provinces, of which 6 projects have been completed, as reported below:
• Completion of a gabion wall project in Qara Cha village, Bagram district, Parwan province.
• Completion of a gabion wall project in Shahabuddin village, Nawa-e-Bahar district, Khost province.
• Completion of a gabion wall project in Tango Camp village, Sarkano district, Kunar province.
• Completion of retaining wall projects in Chahgi and Dunyai villages, Sarkano and Shegal districts, Kunar province.
• Completion of gabion and retaining wall projects in Gulkari village, the center of Laghman province.
• Completion of a gabion check dam project in Laiqa village, Dasht-e-Qala district, Takhar province.
• In the year 1402 (2023-2024), completion of an excavation project in Siphon Valley, Surkh Parsa district, Parwan province.
• Securing areas at risk of rockslides and removing 9 large boulders in the third district of Kabul province.
• Removal of 4 large boulders in a project related to the third district of Kabul city.
   

All Activities:

• A total of 4,970 vulnerable points across the 34 provinces of the country have been registered in the database of this directorate for the implementation of preventive projects.
• Assessment and surveying of vulnerable points in 8 provinces: Paktika, Zabul, Laghman, Nuristan, Kunar, Takhar, Balkh and Uruzgan.
• Launching public awareness programs in Bamyan and Kunar provinces to voluntarily engage communities in disaster preparedness.
• Identifying natural disaster risks in Parwan province, such as earthquakes, landslides, avalanches, and floods, and establishing communication and healthcare services to address them.
• Identifying vulnerable areas in Sorobi district prone to rockslides and floods, preparing technical documents, and sharing them with international organizations to secure funding.
• Collaborating with the Directorate of Information and Publications and other governmental institutions to share scientific articles and preventive guidelines related to natural and non-natural disasters.
• Providing public awareness about the risks of natural disasters (floods, earthquakes, fires, etc.) to over 10,000 people in Takhar, Laghman, Baghlan and Nangarhar provinces through direct and indirect methods, such as distributing brochures and organizing programs.
• Conducting estimation and sketch design for flood-prone areas in Laghman province and surveying vulnerable points in two districts of Balkh province affected by the Amu River banks.
• Surveying, assessing, and collecting data on casualties, martyrs and residential building destruction caused by earthquake impacts in Gayan and Barmal districts of Paktia province.
• Analyzing and studying flood-prone areas in Watapur, Nurgal, Khas Kunar, Ghaziabad, Sarkano and Shegal districts of Kunar province.
• Re-surveying 74 large boulders in various districts of Kabul province and preparing a funding proposal for the Economic Deputy of the Prime Minister’s Office.
• Coordinating with the Aga Khan Agency to raise public awareness about disaster risks in Bamyan, Badakhshan, Kunduz, and Baghlan provinces and implementing the “Domanur” project in Bamyan province.
• Identifying and documenting vulnerable points in 8 villages of Kamdesh district, Nuristan province, affected by disasters.
• Forecasting water and weather conditions for 34 provinces to mitigate flood risks and issuing early warnings to take necessary preventive measures.
• Preparing concept notes for 20 hangars and administrative buildings in various provinces and submitting them to the Ministry of Finance.
• Establishing a technical committee to evaluate preventive project documents, comprising members from the central directorates of the authority.
• Conducting a survey of partially and fully damaged houses due to floods in Shinwari district, Parwan province, as per the instructions of His Excellency Amir al-Mu'minin (may Allah protect him).
• Surveying and assessing 2 potentially hazardous large boulders in residential areas of the third and seventh districts of Kabul province.
• Forming a technical committee to survey commercial centers, fuel tanks, and shops to prevent fire hazards.
• Completing the excavation project in Siphon Dara-e-Surkh, Surkh Parsa district, Parwan province, and appointing a team for its handover and secondary estimation.
• Surveying and assessing an agricultural irrigation canal in Bagram district, Parwan province, designing and preparing its estimation and submitting project documents for construction.
• Removing 4 large boulders in the third district of Kabul province with financial support of $2,000 from the (CWSOA) organization.
• Launching a regional bridge construction project in Chamkani and Jani Khel districts of Paktia province in collaboration with relevant authorities.
• Assessing and surveying areas affected by floods and rising water levels in Shamt Gul village, Laghman province.
• Conducting flood assessment and survey in the 60th block of Abdullah Ansari township, 13th district, Kabul city.
• Initiating preliminary activities for a preventive project in a risk-prone area of Parwan province.
• Preparing a fire prevention plan for commercial areas and sharing it with relevant authorities.
• Collecting data on vulnerable areas from 11 provinces of the country.
• Conducting estimation and sketch design for flood-prone areas in three provinces of the country.
• Identifying, assessing and surveying vulnerable points in the districts of Zabul and Nuristan provinces.
• Conducting surveys and assessments in Bagram district, Parwan province, due to the threat of seasonal water level rise.
• Assessing and surveying 3 large boulders in the second and third districts of Kabul province.
• Surveying a vehicle bridge in Ti Qala village, Shinwari Ghorband district, Parwan province.
• Preparing 2 guidelines for flood preparedness and publishing them on the authority’s website.
• Identifying, assessing, and surveying vulnerable points in 13 areas of Sar-e-Pul province.
• Identifying, assessing, and surveying vulnerable points in 9 areas of Helmand province.
• Identifying and documenting 74 vulnerable points in 14 districts of Kabul province for the implementation of preventive projects.
• Assessing and surveying 369 pump stations and fuel tanks in Kabul province through a permanent fire prevention committee composed of members from 11 ministries and institutions.
   

  Achievements:

• Raising public awareness about the risks of earthquakes, floods, avalanches, fires, and other natural and non-natural disasters and implementing guidelines on disaster casualties, damages and mitigation at the level of schools, universities and other educational institutions across the country.
• Publishing a book on damage identification related to natural disasters in Parwan province.
• Securing vulnerable areas from risks and implementing preventive measures to protect people’s lives and property, thereby reducing the impact of disasters.
• Implementing small-scale preventive projects in highly vulnerable areas to protect human lives, public infrastructure, residential buildings and agricultural lands.
• Establishing coordination with relevant institutions and authorities to implement existing programs and disaster management plans.
• Preventing the destructive effects of floods and other natural disasters by implementing small-scale preventive projects, such as constructing retaining walls, gabion walls, bridges for vehicle passage, cleaning flood channels, clearing siphons and identifying vulnerable points in various provinces of the country.
• Removing large boulders in various districts of Kabul province to prevent rockslides and ensuring the safety of local residents.
• Accurately identifying and studying areas prone to frequent earthquakes to take preliminary measures.
• Protecting properties, residential buildings, agricultural lands and public infrastructure from natural and non-natural disasters.
  
  Challenges:
• The directorate faces numerous challenges, with the primary ones being: insufficient budget for implementing preventive projects, removing large boulders in various districts of Kabul, launching public awareness programs, and constructing secondary unit buildings for Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority.
• Lack of access to resources and equipment for effective management and prevention of natural and non-natural disasters.
  
   

• Recommendations:

• To reduce the risks of natural and non-natural disasters, implement preventive projects, and remove large boulders in various districts of Kabul province, it is necessary to allocate a sufficient budget to this ministry through the High Governmental Commission for Disaster Management.
• To conduct surveys and assessments of vulnerable areas across the country’s provinces, districts, and regions in response to natural disasters, the directorate must have access to necessary resources and facilities to better manage disaster impacts.
• The availability of resources and facilities is essential for the directorate to conduct thorough studies and research on disaster occurrences.
• To enhance public awareness and implement disaster drills regarding natural and non-natural disasters, financial and non-financial resources should be provided to the directorate’s public awareness team.