Development Background

Afghanistan, as a fast growing emerging market of strategic importance, is located at the crossroads of the famous east-west trading corridor of the Silk Road and the modern north-south corridor of great economic opportunities. These corridors link some of the largest and fastest-growing economies of the world, including China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Turkey, Iran and UAE. They involve massive energy resources of Central Asia, Afghan mineral riches worth trillions of dollars, busy South-Asian markets and major sea ports of international trading in Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf. The Afghan capital Kabul sets at the heart of this highly resourceful region, with great potential to turn into a business hub for all.

After 2002, the new geo-political dynamics and its subsequent business opportunities, rapid urban population growth and emergence of high unemployment, triggered the planning of urban extension towards the immediate north of Kabul, in the form of a new city. The Government of Afghanistan established the Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS) for the coming five years as part of its efforts to secure continued understanding and support from the International society for sustainable development. The ANDS is supported by three main pillars of Security, governance and socio-economic development with eight pillars:

1. Infrastructure and natural resources
2. Agriculture and rural development
3. Human capital and gender equity
4. Social protection
5. Economic governance and private sector development
6. International and regional cooperation
7. Good governance and rule of law
8. Security

All the above objectives of the ANDS has been addressed through the planning of the Kabul New City as a viable and sustainable concept to enable growth and economic prosperity on the local, national and regional basis.

Urban development is an important issue in the strategy for infrastructure and natural resources together with transport, water resources and sustainable and quality energy resources and supply for the residents and businesses.

As part of efforts to deal with the urban problems in Kabul, the development of a new city in Dehsabz has been contemplated as mentioned in the ANDS. The Government of Afghanistan has requested the Government of Japan for technical cooperation to develop a Master Plan for the Kabul city with the new city as an important means to guide the future urbanization in the Kabul Metropolitan Area (KMA). In response, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)-the official agency responsible for the implementation of the technical cooperation program of the Government of Japan, decided to conduct a study to examine the strategy and directions for urban development in Kabul Metropolitan Area (KMA) and to prepare a Master Plan for further design and implementation.

Implementation planning

             a. Preparation of the Kabul new city master plan and subsequent Cabinet approval Based on the Interim Report that contains the first draft of the KMA master plan, a draft master plan for the new city development was prepared in February, 2009. The document included market and cash flow analysis, phased development of the new city and risk assessment of the KNC development. The master plan for the new city development was subsequently adopted by the DCDA Board and approved in principle by the Cabinet of Ministers on 26^th March, 2010.

The process of reports development and project profile for the Master plan coincided with the stakeholders’ seminars consultations with relevant agencies and dissemination of the initial findings of the study team. The information from the community and stakeholders has been incorporated in to the MP study documents in the following manner:

             b. Seminar – Sharing the draft MP with stakeholders on March 5, 2009
             c. Consultation with stakeholders
             d. Preparations of sector plans and project profiles
             e. Preparations of the implementation plan
              f. Compilation of the Draft Final Report