Flood Preparations In Baghlan
Szöveg: Zsolt Turzai | 2010. április 9. 7:42In the Hungarian camp in Pol-e Khomri, Colonel Gábor Boldizsár, Commander, HDF Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) and Monshi Majid, the Governor of Baghlan province handed over to the representative of the Afghan Ministry of Rural Development one thousand gabions with which they can prepare for the spring floods in the province.
Since the governmental body that knows needs the best is the Ministry of Rural Development, they will coordinate and control the use of gabions. Gabions are steel wire structures filled with stone on the site of constructions, and owing to their weight, they ensure the stability of steep slopes, while in the case of so-called retaining walls layers of wires laid down in the slope guarantee stability.
The local press also showed a great interest in the event. The PRT commander and the governor made a joint statement to journalists delegated by the Afghan media. In response to the questions, Col. Boldizsár emphasised that the Hungarian PRT – based on the authorisation given by the government – implements development projects in the province primarily in the educational and health care sectors. In 2010, their budget for the implementation of projects in Baghlan province, Afghanistan will exceed last year’s budget by ten per cent. Beyond various investments, by involving NGOs, extending the employment opportunities of locals, and as a result of that, improving the economic potential of the region, changes have to be made in order to establish a welfare society.
If the opportunities of people to earn money create a situation that capital and money remains in the province, then the positive changes in market conditions will be manifested in better living conditions for locals. To this end, when planning projects the Hungarian PRT tries to involve local workforce as well into the manufacturing of materials and construction. A good example of this is that in the future, gabions will be made by local workforce, with the mediation of the US AID, giving Afghans, the people of Baghlan an opportunity to earn money, to make a living. The present assistance is an element of the CIMIC program launched recently.
With the new equipments and with the help of Afghan agricultural specialists the inhabitants can prepare for the floods coming with the spring thaw, because this season in Baghlan, "the water is the master!"
