Case study of Shaman plain flood control project, Yakawlang district, Bamyan Province

Agrarian system and impact assesments

Lessons learnt from the evolution of the needs and the relations between all stakeholders

in a transitional state from relief to development

Based on a 5 months survey in Partnership with Solidarités By David LETY

Institutionnal framework

Solidarités implements the « rural development support of Yakawlang district» (3 years)

four components : Agricultural Training (dissemination of good agricultural

practices) Trade Exchange (in and out commercialisation

improvement) Micro-Projects (support to the more vulnerable persons

and promotion of energy renewable) Rehabilitation of rural Infrastructures: irrigation canals and

the Shaman plain flood control

Yakawlang

A 2400 ha plain on the band e Amir valley (altitude of 2450 m)

About 30 villages and 15 000 inhabitants Agro-pastoral system (meadows, grazing

lands and cropping fields)

Shaman plain

Problem generated by yearly floods prevents land cultivation and high yields Favours salinity Humidity in the house of the plain:

negative impacts on population health Prevents people movements because the

main road is flooded for many months

Nayak

Natural dam

Map of Shaman plain.This map is coming from Russian map 1/50,000 scale. One square corresponds to 1 km2.

River

Canyon entrance and outlet of the water flow

East limit of the plainDigging of the river

Flood control project

Objective is to improve 500 ha out of 2400 ha

Challenges of the project in a transitional context: from relief to development

Land development raises several Issues: In which extent will the farmers modify their cropping

and production systems? will the project benefit from all of them?

Will land tenure be restructured and how? Is this process likely to generate any new conflicts?

Will the communities be able to ensure the sustainability of the new system?

As institutions are being rebuilt, new considerations emerged, who is in charge of ensuring that

communities’ interests prevail?

Methodology based on a system analysis

semi directives enquiries to analyze dynamics of the region

Focus on: agriculture social organization and natural resources

management land tenure

Technical issue is not the aim of this study

Project review

May 2004: Initial survey : local population strongly requested the Shaman plain flood control, local authorities also ask for the project.

Plan to subcontract feasibility studies

Contract: the whole responsibility of the project is given to the district governor and Solidarités has an assistant status

Feasibility studies: geotechnical, topographical, land use, hydrological.

Due to lack of ex ante data, Solidarités was not able to have a precise hydrological survey: Solidarités decide to implement a trial on work site

Winter 2004-2005 : trial on work site Community mobilization, meeting and agreement of Shaman plain representatives for work implementation

Call for tender : a private company is selected to dig the canyon

October 2005: Project pending by central government (NEPA answerable to the MEW)

« Aylaks »: high plateau for

transhumance, fodder and bushes

cutting

« Aylaks »

« lalmi »: rain fed area

« lalmi »

« Abi »: irrigated lands

Meadows: fodder cutting

Diversified production system

Main Main constraint is constraint is availability of availability of

irrigated landsirrigated lands

A dynamic of agricultural intensification

Population growth

Decrease of land availability

Agricultural intensification: cash crops, animal husbandry

Cultivation of low yield plots in Shaman plain

Diversity of land use: cultivated lands, pasture and meadows: a wide range of agricultural potential

Cultivated and irrigated lands

Meadows and water meadows

Pastures

The downstream mainly cropped

Meadows and water meadows

Most of the plain is used as meadow

Pastures

Upstream, mainly Pasture

Farming system

10 1750 pasture min shaman10 7000 pasture max shaman

200 af/load 1000 potato100 af/load 3000 average winter wheat

min winter wheat shamanmax winter wheat Shamanmeadows (driest)meadow (wet)

Comparison of the production of Shaman lands and irrigated valleys

0100020003000400050006000700080009000

10000

averagewinter wheat

min winterwheat

shaman

max winterwheat

Shaman

meadows(driest)

meadow(wet)

afgh

anis/jerib

Land potential: in the irrigated valleys

By increasing land productivity, Shaman plain flood control project is supporting the agricultural intensification

Cultivated lands: increase of yields

Cultivated lands over runned by reeds: increase of yields

Meadows; increase of yield or taken into cultivation

Irrigation and drainage system

A functional irrigation system

Few drainage canals

The project is improving an existing system without changing drasticlly it

Land tenure

Governemental lands

Foothills lands: few landowners

Shaman lands: lot of small landowners

Large area of Shaman plain a lot of landowners concerned by the project

Potential Impacts

How many lands will be dried, considering the first phase of work and the second one?

What will be the project impact on the land yields? The digging of new drainage canals will it be needed? What will be the impact on river flow downstream,

sedimentation process, erosion in the canyon

Nevertheless, according to a lack of climatic datas, it remains questions on the hydrological impacts

The Shaman project is relevant and the expected impacts are mainly positive.

A new power struggle; reasons of project pending

Since the beginning of project implementation: the district governor is the main responsible of the project But procedures were unclear and Solidarités did not include

officially central government.

The government is now rightly asking more consultation and claiming more control of activities led by NGOs

Reasons of pending based on the issues of environmental impacts and explosives use

Development of institutions, some new considerations

Population: total support to increase land productivity

Central governement:long term vision considering environmental issues

Shaman plain flood control project is supporting endogenous dynamic

How to combine environmental and development issues?

How to be sure that the communities’ interests prevail ?

Interests differ:

Social organization: One of the challenges for such project

Water management generally involves several villages and relies on social structures.

Communities are responsible for the construction of irrigation and drainage canals.

How social organization will impact the sustainability of the new system?

Evolution of power struggle and social organization

MirsCommunist

administrationArbâbWar:

commandants

New governement:

2001End of XIX th

1989-2001

1930-1979

1979-1989

Hierarchic system

Mobilization for collective work

implementation of Shouras

Cash allows project

implementaion

Social organization and natural resource management

Nowadays, increase of individualism: new difficulty to organize people without funds.

If we have to consider a new organization: can the communities take initiatives for construction, maintenance?

Is the « participative approach » really sustainable if it needs external funds to mobilize communities?

Conclusion-discussion

Several issue have to be taken into account for such a project of land development: system analysis can be one of the methods

How to improve consultation between the stakeholders considering their various interests?

How to combine environmental and development issues?

How mobilize communities? How make them able to be aware of their responsabilities?