The project has overall progressed well during year 2022 albeit with some delays due to formal project registration. The delays shortened the time for implementation and some activities had to be postponed to next year. However, being a multi-year project this sifting of activities has not created any problem at the overall outcome and impact level. The first year focused on a number of preparatory activities, among others a baseline, recruitment of staff, administrative setups and various inception meetings, see below.
ARC managed to recruit staff the project to a satisfactory extent. The plan was to have 73 programme staff in year 1 and by the end December 2022, ARC had got 72. The project was launched successfully with relevant inception meetings in all provinces. Ten offices was setup to manage the implementation of the project.
A baseline survey by Bright Futures Consulting Services was conducted. The survey adopted a two-stage cluster sampling survey methodology, involving a mixed approach of both quantitative and qualitative data collection that utilized household survey questionnaires, key informant guides, focus group discussions, Community Institution Maturity Index and literature review. A total of 600 respondents across the six provinces (Takhar, Badakshan, Samangan, Jawzjan, Sar-e-pul and Bamyan) in nine districts of Cha ab, Kishem, Argo, Aybak, Hazrat-e-Sultan, Yakawlang, Bamyan Center, Sheberghan and Sar-e-pul participated in the study.
The summary findings show that overall, 6% of the respondent households in the six target locations have a high CSI score and 58% respondents have medium CSI score whilst the remaining 37% recorded a low CSI score. More respondent households with a medium CSI score were recorded in Jawzjan (87%) Bamyan (76%), Badakhshan and Samangan with 71% and Sar-e-pul with 60% were as those with a high CSI score were found in Sar-e-pul (11%), Samangan and Jawzjan (8%), and Bamyan (7%). Most respondent households with a low CSI score were found in Takhar (80%) and Samangan (71%).
68% of respondent households in the six target provinces indicated that they were worried that their food would run out before they got money to buy more in the last 12 months.
86% of the respondent households reported that at times they had to eat less than they felt they should because there was not enough money for food in the last 12 months.
80% of the respondent households indicated that they lost weight because there was not enough money for food in the last 12 months.
46% of the respondents households indicated that in the last 12 months some of the children at times did not eat for a whole day because there was not enough money for food showing a most severe food condition in the target locations;
The agricultural subsector that suffered the most damage/losses from climate induced disasters in the target communities in the last 12 months is crops as reported by respondents in Kishem (100%) Argo (96%) Sheberghan (68%) Hazrat-e-Sultan (67%);
86% of the respondents indicated that drought caused the most damage and loss to crops in the target communities in the past 12 months and was found to be the main reason for lack of adequate pastures;
34% of the respondents reported having their grazing land threatened by natural disasters whilst 25% respondents indicate that half of their pastureland was under threat.
A cumulative average 37% of the respondent households have access to VFUs/veterinary advisory services in the districts.
Only 34% of the respondents in the agricultural communities indicated that they had access to agricultural advisory services.
82% of assessed community institutions are in the good category while only 6% were found to be in the very good category of community Institution showing signs that there has been institutional development over time and 12% of the assessed community organizations were found to be in the poor category and inactive.
98% of the respondents indicated that they have not received any training on livestock keeping in the past 12 months.
The plan for year-1 of the project was to support 1,530 vulnerable households to earn 21,204,976 Afs cash through cash-for-work to meet their basic needs. By the end of December 2022 ARC supported 1,448 households to earn 20,275,765 Afs cash-for-work. Currency fluctuation impacted the total amount of cash-for-work done and has overall been a strain during implementation.
