Global Opportunity 2014

Water | Pell Frischmann

‘The overall objective of the Afghanistan Resource Corridor Development Project was to assist the Government in preparing a strategy anchored to oncoming mining investments.’

ore and can create further problems through water pollution from discharged mine effluent and seepage from tailings.

With Afghanistan being ranked among the lowest in the world for access to improved water sources and the mortality rate of children under 5 at 25% with half of these deaths caused by water-borne diseases, there is a significant trade-off to mining expansion and improved water resources. To realise both of these aims, the improvement of water resources for the people of Afghanistan and the development of the country’s mining potential, it was vital to use British and other international expertise to solve this problem. The overall objective of the Afghanistan Resource Corridor Development Project was to assist the government in preparing a strategy anchored to oncoming mining investments. The International Finance Corporation (part of the World Bank), who was assisting with this strategy, commissioned Pell Frischmann to undertake a Water Strategy study to identify solutions to critical water-related issues, as well as identify areas of potential public investment.

Our Work There were three distinct elements

to this project: l A review of the current and future water needs for Kabul and the proposed copper mine at Aynak. l A review of the current water

Resource Growth Corridor Water

Strategy, Afghanistan global-opportunity.co.uk ISSUE 01 | GLOBAL OPPORTUNITY 2014 167

needs in the Northern River basin, giving particular consideration to options for the location of an oil refinery. l An assessment of water supply sources and infrastructure requirements in order to determine a water resource strategy for the Kabul and Northern River basins.

Studies by both KfW and JICA concluded Kabul’s available water source is inadequate, as well as projecting significant population expansion within 10-20 years with a corresponding increase in per capita water demand of up to 300% (792,500m3/day). The estimated water demand of the Aynak Mine is 35,000m3/day. The recommendations within our strategy were designed to be adaptable and maximise all available resources, including investigating the capabilities of a number of surrounding dams and ensuring flexibility of water resources to maximise the security of the future water supply. We proposed options to meet the

demand such as providing extra storage on the upper reaches of the Logar River to maintain stream flow and extracting ground water from aquifers to be transferred to Kabul and Aynak mine. To ensure we also addressed the current water supply. We advised a sewage collection

and treatment programme to be undertaken in parallel, to improve public health and reduce water borne disease prevalence. Overall, our long-term strategy identified a potential yield of 1,287,500m3/day. The project involved extensive travelling throughout Kabul and provinces in the north of Afghanistan and significant collaboration with a range of local and national government organisations, International organisations and Private Financed Corporations.

Our Success

Our success can be evidenced by the fact that our work was called a success at the IMF and World Bank Annual Meeting in Tokyo, with $16 billion in development aid committed from 2012-2015 (approximately $500,000 per head). Luke Jordan, Project Coordinator for the World Bank, said to all contributors to the Resource Corridor study team “Thank you to all of you for your hard work, over the last six months, which has collectively taken us from a concept to a strategy and now a plan that is on the cusp of implementation.”

GO

FURTHER INFORMATION www.pellfrischmann.com

Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4 | Page 5 | Page 6 | Page 7 | Page 8 | Page 9 | Page 10 | Page 11 | Page 12 | Page 13 | Page 14 | Page 15 | Page 16 | Page 17 | Page 18 | Page 19 | Page 20 | Page 21 | Page 22 | Page 23 | Page 24 | Page 25 | Page 26 | Page 27 | Page 28 | Page 29 | Page 30 | Page 31 | Page 32 | Page 33 | Page 34 | Page 35 | Page 36 | Page 37 | Page 38 | Page 39 | Page 40 | Page 41 | Page 42 | Page 43 | Page 44 | Page 45 | Page 46 | Page 47 | Page 48 | Page 49 | Page 50 | Page 51 | Page 52 | Page 53 | Page 54 | Page 55 | Page 56 | Page 57 | Page 58 | Page 59 | Page 60 | Page 61 | Page 62 | Page 63 | Page 64 | Page 65 | Page 66 | Page 67 | Page 68 | Page 69 | Page 70 | Page 71 | Page 72 | Page 73 | Page 74 | Page 75 | Page 76 | Page 77 | Page 78 | Page 79 | Page 80 | Page 81 | Page 82 | Page 83 | Page 84 | Page 85 | Page 86 | Page 87 | Page 88 | Page 89 | Page 90 | Page 91 | Page 92 | Page 93 | Page 94 | Page 95 | Page 96 | Page 97 | Page 98 | Page 99 | Page 100 | Page 101 | Page 102 | Page 103 | Page 104 | Page 105 | Page 106 | Page 107 | Page 108 | Page 109 | Page 110 | Page 111 | Page 112 | Page 113 | Page 114 | Page 115 | Page 116 | Page 117 | Page 118 | Page 119 | Page 120 | Page 121 | Page 122 | Page 123 | Page 124 | Page 125 | Page 126 | Page 127 | Page 128 | Page 129 | Page 130 | Page 131 | Page 132 | Page 133 | Page 134 | Page 135 | Page 136 | Page 137 | Page 138 | Page 139 | Page 140 | Page 141 | Page 142 | Page 143 | Page 144 | Page 145 | Page 146 | Page 147 | Page 148 | Page 149 | Page 150 | Page 151 | Page 152 | Page 153 | Page 154 | Page 155 | Page 156 | Page 157 | Page 158 | Page 159 | Page 160 | Page 161 | Page 162 | Page 163 | Page 164 | Page 165 | Page 166 | Page 167 | Page 168 | Page 169 | Page 170 | Page 171 | Page 172 | Page 173 | Page 174 | Page 175 | Page 176 | Page 177 | Page 178 | Page 179 | Page 180 | Page 181 | Page 182 | Page 183 | Page 184 | Page 185 | Page 186 | Page 187 | Page 188 | Page 189 | Page 190 | Page 191 | Page 192 | Page 193 | Page 194 | Page 195 | Page 196 | Page 197 | Page 198 | Page 199 | Page 200