[{"bbox": [143, 148, 1086, 263], "category": "Text", "text": "projects Energy Supply for Rural Areas and Institutional Development for Energy and UNDP Afghanistan Sustainable Energy for Rural Development and (iv) EU ECO-DRR project implemented by UNEP as pilot intervention in 7 villages/3 village clusters in the Bamyan Province."}, {"bbox": [143, 271, 1085, 326], "category": "Text", "text": "Out of these past experiences, the Government and the EU Delegation have drawn the following lessons learnt to be used in the framework of this Initiative:"}, {"bbox": [181, 337, 1085, 454], "category": "List-item", "text": "* Rural people are caught in a poverty trap or negative feedback, as their livelihood dependency on use of limited natural resources coupled with increasing ecosystem degradation, lack of value adding and poor market access together with population growth, contribute to widespread poverty increasing pressure on ecosystems."}, {"bbox": [181, 455, 1085, 543], "category": "List-item", "text": "* Building technical and management capacity of water user associations can lead to an improved integrated water resource management at the local level, decreasing potential natural resource conflict and building local resilience."}, {"bbox": [181, 544, 1085, 659], "category": "List-item", "text": "* Regulation of use of rangeland, woodland and biodiversity through community-based management and other means is insufficient; growing use intensity and unsustainable practices lead to large scale degradation while local pilot activities showed potentials and challenges of introducing more sustainable practices."}, {"bbox": [181, 660, 1085, 777], "category": "List-item", "text": "* Economic activities as livestock breeding, use of non-wood forest products and arable farming are severely hampered by inadequate technology, lack of sustainable management institutions and climate change impacts (more frequent unusual precipitation and temperature patterns)."}, {"bbox": [181, 778, 1085, 949], "category": "List-item", "text": "* Dependence on biomass for heating and cooking and inefficient energy use increase pressure on ecosystems and cause widespread degradation. Lack of renewable and sustainable electricity hampers social and economic development in the region. Sustainability of installed micro-hydro schemes is unsatisfactory due to poor maintenance and natural disasters. Other renewable energy technology (solar and wind) are not available in rural areas."}, {"bbox": [181, 952, 1085, 1038], "category": "List-item", "text": "* The significant degradation of ecosystem services in rural areas, exacerbated by climate change and coupled with insecurity, contribute to increasing migration mainly of youth towards the cities or abroad."}, {"bbox": [181, 1047, 1085, 1165], "category": "List-item", "text": "* Holistic approaches linking ecosystem services, forest restoration and conservation, new technologies, agriculture-based economic activities, renewable energy, energy efficiency and social development can empower rural communities to improve their livelihoods, decrease youth migration while sustainably managing natural resources."}, {"bbox": [181, 1171, 1085, 1318], "category": "List-item", "text": "* Women are most affected by degradation of natural resources, disasters and loss of ecosystem services as well as by insufficient energy supply and inefficient use of energy for cooking and heating. Therefore, they must be involved and are willing and able to play key roles in local natural resources management, renewable energy generation and development and application of energy efficient technologies."}, {"bbox": [143, 1329, 748, 1359], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## 3.2 Complementarity, synergy and donor coordination"}, {"bbox": [143, 1370, 1085, 1545], "category": "Text", "text": "The action builds upon and complements a ten-year EU support to rural and agriculture development and empowerment of rural communities in Afghanistan. Notably, since 2003 the EU has contributed towards: i) implementing the Integrated Water Resources Management model in the Panj-Amu River Basin; ii) promoting farm and off-farm activities through the Food Security Thematic Programme); and, iii) supporting long-term research, private sector development and institutional support, improving services to Afghan farmers. The ADB/EU"}, {"bbox": [597, 1605, 634, 1629], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "[10]"}]