OVERVIEW

The On Farm Water Management Project (OFWMP) improves agricultural productivity by enhancing efficient use of water. The key project indicators include: (a) Land Productivity (yield of wheat, ton/hectare); (b) Water Productivity (yield of wheat for each volume of water used); (c) Percentage Increase in Irrigated Area. The World Bank has established a successful working relationship with the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA) through the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF) to accomplish a number of capacity-building goals. This co-financing mechanism allows USAID to meet its international commitments on donor coordination and the use of country systems, while at the same time, meeting USAID programmatic goals.

The components of the project include:

• Component A: On-Farm Water Management (rehabilitation of irrigation canals, institutional strengthening, and technical demonstration activities)
• Component B: Support for Enhancing Productivity
• Component C: Institutional Strengthening and Capacity Building of the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL)
• Component D: Project Implementation, Coordination, and Monitoring and Evaluation.

ACTIVITIES

USAID has participated in the implementation of the OFWM project since August 2013. The two tranches of disbursement made to the ARTF fund the following activities:

• Rehabilitate irrigation infrastructure to provide water to 50,000 hectares of farm land
• Develop a standard procedure for establishing irrigation associations
• Establish an additional 100 irrigation associations 
• Provide technical assistance for the 175 irrigation associations established in phase 1
• Establish approximately 120 demonstration plots
• Develop a draft irrigation and drainage law and 10-year implementation plan

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

The first (pilot) phase rehabilitated 100 irrigation schemes and provided water to a total of 19,000 hectares of irrigable land and assisted in establishing 175 irrigation associations to take responsibility for operating and maintaining the rehabilitated irrigation infrastructures. Average water productivity in the catchment area has increased by around 15%, conveyance efficiency has improved by 30%, and crop productivity has increased by approximately 15%. The project assisted 19,793 households and 138,551 beneficiaries. It also improved the management capacity of MAIL through implementation of an advanced management information system (MIS).

KEY PARTNERS

Government of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan/MAIL, Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund, World Bank, and United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

ACTIVITY LOCATIONS

A total of 46 districts in the following regions: Kabul (Kabul, Kapisa, Parwan, and Panjshir provinces), West (Herat, and Ghor provinces), Bamyan (Bamyan and Baghlan provinces), East (Nangarhar, Laghman and Kunar provinces) and North (Samangan, Balkh, Faryab, Saripul, and Jawzjan provinces)