Our work in Afghanistan is part of a DFID-funded programme titled ‘Extractive Sector Support Programme’ (ESSP) which aims to improve Afghanistan’s ability to manage its natural resources for the benefit of all Afghans.
We have three projects operating in Kabul in the following areas:
1) Developing capacity in the environmental geology section of the Afghan Geological Survey (AGS) to support environmental management at the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum (MoMP) in the mining sector
2) Establishment of a construction materials testing laboratory at the AGS to support the small-scale mining sector
3) Development of mineral promotion services at the MoMP
Work on all three projects is progressing well. We have already started training our counterparts at commercial laboratories in Kabul to familiarise staff on techniques and equipment prior to installing new equipment and repairing older equipment already in place.
As the project continues we will be spending more time involved in hands-on training and mentoring of our counterparts to enable them to work more effectively on their own. In future years, it is hoped that staff will be able to undertake much of the tasks that other geological surveys and ministries carry out.
