Drought Mitigation through Emergency WASH Response in Bamyan and Daykundi With below-average precipitation levels during the 2020/21 winter and 2021 spring seasons, as well as high temperatures, induced by La Niña, Afghanistan is experiencing a prolonged dry spell and drought conditions across much of the country. Snowpack is low, resulting in less water from snowmelt, which has led to declining water tables across the country (FEWSNET 2021). Below average water tables are negatively impacting water quality at the source and increasing the risk of waterborne diseases. Communities with insufficient water at the household level are also unable to practice proven COVID-19 prevention measures such as frequent handwashing. 

In many rural communities, water tables have yet to fully recover from the 2018 drought and the current conditions foretell prolonged instances of water scarcity and issues related to water quality. In the absence of immediate WASH assistance, rural households living at places of origin may be forced to migrate to urban areas. Through the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund 3rd Reserve Allocation, CRS proposes to provide emergency WASH assistance to rural communities at places of origin in Ashterlay and Sangi Takht districts of Daykundi province, and Yawkawlang and Dar-e-chasht districts in Bamyan province to mitigate the risk of displacement, focusing on the following key activities: 

1) Rehabilitation of existing water supply systems to include repairing boreholes, excavating wells, replacing handpumps, and conducting maintenance of gravity-fed pipe schemes 
2) Development of new boreholes where there are no other immediate solutions to restore water access
3) Establishment and training of water management committees (WMCs) so that they have the capacity to uphold the continued operation and maintenance of the new and rehabilitated water supply systems. 
4) Promotion of household water treatment methods including the provision of water purification tablets where appropriate until safe water access is restored. 
5) Hygiene promotion activities that focus on critical handwashing times and incorporate key messages on disease prevention through Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE). 

For all activities, CRS will closely engage marginalized groups who are often not included in decision-making processes - such as women, adolescent girls, persons living with disabilities (PLwD), and the elderly - to ensure the intervention specifically addresses the WASH needs of whole communities. Intentional consultation with women and girls will ensure the project is sensitive to any gender and gender-based violence (GBV) concerns. Collectively, the project will provide target communities with sustained access to safe water, thereby meeting immediate needs while also building resilience to recurring droughts which are projected to increase in both frequency and severity. The project will assist an estimated 16,380 individuals living in 27 communities in Bamyan and Daykundi. 

CRS has worked in Daykundi since 2014 and Bamyan since 2010 and provided emergency WASH support in both provinces following a severe drought in 2018. The 2018 drought laid bare the vulnerabilities of communities across Afghanistan to the impact of extreme weather events, which are becoming increasingly severe. The proposed project builds on CRS’ existing operational presence in both locations, where CRS is able to leverage high levels of community acceptance and strong relations with government stakeholders and local leaders. Furthermore, the project will draw on extensive WASH experience from previous projects funded by donors such as USAID and German Ministry of Foreign Affairs (GAA). The proposed project will target communities that are not served by other humanitarian actors and align with CRS Afghanistan’s goal to help the people of Afghanistan realize their potential and live in dignity.