Electrification of Afghan villages

Afghan news round up for November 2013 compiled by Elayne Jude for Great North News Services, includes "Power on", mineral graft, the Rouhani effect, a poet passes, and Sandhurst, Afghan-style

The UNDP has released a report on the electrification of Afghan villages. Since 2002, the UNDP supported National Area Based Development Programme has implemented over 3,300 projects across Afghanistan. By October 2013, 127 micro hydro power plants had been built, benefiting close to 150,000 people. 52 new micro hydro projects are planned for 2014.

Only 33 percent of rural households have access to power, often intermittent. In remote areas such as regions near the Hindu Kush, the number of households with electricity is around eight percent. Most burn expensive kerosene, scarce firewood, or animal dung.

NDP and the Afghan government fund the construction of micro hydro power plants in these remote areas. Micro hydro relies on the natural flow of water, rather than large dams, for power generation. In Afghanistan, these small, environmentally sustainable power plants typically produce about eight kilowatts of energy – enough to provide household lighting and energy to run a few small businesses. The households pay a small amount every month to use the electricity, less than what kerosene might cost.

Some of the power plants also pump much-needed water from wells to tank. When households get running water through the scheme, women and girls, who are usually in charge of collecting water from remote sources, have more time to dedicate to their education and income-generation, according to UNDP.

"The micro hydro power plants not only provide electricity and water, but they also help children progress in their education and provide unskilled labourers with employment and valuable training and experience in building these plants," says Daud Rahimi, Programme Manager. "With these and other projects, we have created more than 5 million work days for people in rural communities, which helps develop the local economy."

http://reliefweb.int/report/afghanistan/bringing-light-afghanistans-villages#sthash.AAmrvh6G.dpuf

Mineral Bust

The Illegal extraction and smuggling of mineral resources are long-standing issues. This month, Integrity Watch Afghanistan (IWA), a corruption watchdog, alleged in a report that a commander of the Afghan Local Police (ALP) has been running an illegal chromites extraction operation in Kunar province. IWA alleges that the police commander was supported by the Task Force for Business and Stability Operations (TFBSO), who provided equipment. There have also been reports about illegal extractions from azurite mine in Badakhshan province of Afghanistan.

It is the responsibility of Ministries of Mines and Interior to protect the natural deposits. There is a lack of any robust governmental effort to prevent the illegal extraction and smuggling of the natural resources which robs Afghanistan of much-needed revenue. Insecure highways and lack of rail infrastructure hinder legitimate mineral extraction.

Studies have estimated the worth of Afghan minerals in several trillion dollars, challenging the traditional view of an agrarian economy.

Iran-US Rapprochement: Good News for Afghanistan?

A diplomatic thaw between the United States and Iran may have a positive effect on Afghanistan-Iran relations.

Hassan Rouhani's election as Iranian president, and his speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York in October, may radically changed the West's attitude to Iran.

Kabul has long accused Tehran of meddling in domestic politics, of supporting insurgents, and of trying to prevent the construction of hydroelectric schemes that might stem water supplies from cross-border rivers. Afghans illegally crossing the border have been shot dead by Iranian border guards, and hundreds of Afghan nationals have been executed for drug smuggling.

Political analyst Jawed Kohistani thinks that a rapprochement between Tehran and Washington would change the local mood.

"Once Iran no longer sees the US as a hostile presence in Afghanistan, it will clearly not support anti-government groups in that country," he said. "Iran-fed intelligence networks and groups in Afghanistan will lose importance; ethnic, sectarian and linguistic conflicts perpetuated by these networks will diminish; the US will allow Iran to implement large-scale economic projects in Afghanistan, and imports of Iranian goods will increase."

Sayed Fazel Hussein Sancharaki, spokesman for the opposition National Coalition, said: "There is no doubt that the economic sanctions imposed on Iran have had an indirect effect on Afghans. We hope that with improved relations between America and Iran, these sanctions will be lifted. Also, Iranian interference prompted by the US presence will soon end. As [US-Iranian] relations get better, Afghanistan and Iran, too, can build better cooperation in the reconstruction process, the war on terrorism, counter-narcotics, the economy and so on. We want this relationship to improve."

Moin Marastiyal, deputy head of the Rights and Justice party, was more sceptical. He dismisses Rouhani's tactics as a means of removing economic sanctions, while real power remains in a clerical establishment.

"Changes of government and president will not deflect the Iranian religious polity from its objectives in the region," he said. "Iran wants to be a regional nuclear power like India and Pakistan. It is trying to expand the Shia faith in the region, something that Saudi Arabia opposes. And Saudi Arabia has good relations with the US as well. Iran is concerned about the expansion of Arab – especially Saudi Arabian – influence in the region, and is trying hard to halt this so as to exert indirect religious and cultural control in the region."

Death of a poet

Noted poet and writer Nasrullah Hafiz has passed away at a hospital in Kabul.

Hafiz was admitted to the Sardar Daud Khan Hospital after falling down stairs at home. He died of a haemorrhage shortly after.

His funeral ceremony took place in the Amir Shaheed Garden, in Jalalabad, later in the day. He was laid to rest in the Hafizan village of Khogyani district.

Hafiz was born in eastern Nangarhar province. In his long career he wrote 39 collections of poems and prose. He has died at the age of 82.

Hammond and Karzai at Kabul's Sandhurst

Afghanistan's largest military academy was inaugurated in western Kabul, in the presence of President Karzai and British Defence Secretary Hammond. The academy was built in a joint co-operation exercise between Afghanistan and the UK.

Modelled on Sandhurst, the academy will house around 120 teachers and trainers from the UK and other western nations.Karzai called the inauguration of the military academy a major step towards the development of a professional army in Afghanistan, predicting the emergence of strong country following the graduation of properly trained military officers.

Construction formally began earlier in October 2012. The build cost is estimated at around $42 million.

Phillip Hammond, the UK Defence Secretary, said the academy's facilities met international military standards, and its students would receive advanced training courses. The UK has pledged to train and advise the Afghan forces after 2014.

with thanks to Afghan Review, UNDP, Afghanistan Times, Outlook Afghanistan, IWPR