Capacity building for habitat improvement in the Hindu Kush – Tajikistan and Pakistan

The project’s specific objective was to contribute to an improved and safer habitat in disaster prone areas of GBAO and Northern Pakistan by habitat improvement initiatives. The main results that have been achieved through the course of the project included a reduction in the workload of women and household expenditures, a decrease in cold, smoke and waterborne diseases, improved health & hygiene conditions, an introduction of seismic resistant construction techniques, building demand driven skills, as well as raising awareness on habitat improvement through conferences, publications and road shows.

In its final year, the project successfully scaled up activities in habitat improvement in the project areas in Tajikistan and Pakistan. In GBAO, through increased awareness about the advantages and cost efficiency of the HI products, 211 private households self-replicated the thermal-insulation method on a total area of 9,150sq.m. The demand for fuel-efficient stoves and double glazed windows increased dramatically. Thus the adoption of innovative and efficient models led to 60% savings in firewood and coal. In addition, FOCUS/DIPECHO, the Swiss Development Cooperation and Mission East organizations funded projects in GBAO that were replicating the best practices of the project regarding thermo-insulation, seismic resistant construction, water supply systems and improved hygiene of sanitary facilities.

By the end of the project, the regional Habitat Improvement Conference (HIC) Improved Livelihoods through Integrated and Sustainable Resource Management was conducted with participation of the project partners from Pakistan in order to share their knowledge and experience, as well as to contribute to recommendations for future programming of similar projects. The conference contributed to the strengthening of the notion of an integrated strategic partnership for scaling up the project’s best practices in habitat improvement. The donor agencies, the government as well as national and international organizations defined their roles and future involvement in improving habitat and the community’s livelihood.

Cross cutting issues:

Capacity Development, Poverty Allevation, Environmental Sustainability, Democracy & Human Rights