Kabul, Afghanistan 9 March 2017 – Kabul Mayor Abdullah Habibzai has launched the ground activities for citywide cleaning, greening and beautification services in Nahias 1 and 2. These activities are part of the Clean and Green Cities Programme which will implement area-based upgrading and citywide services in Kabul. The programme is a labour intensive services delivery aimed at stimulating and creating jobs in the market. The event was organized at the Kabul Municipality.

Caption: Kabul Mayor Abdullah Habibzai launched the programme with over 200 workers. USAID representatives, Nahias Heads, Nahia Development Committee Members, representatives of government authorities, and UN- Habitat team attended the event.

The Clean and Green Cities Programme will implement city cleaning, greening and beautification activities in 10 cities in Afghanistan. In Kabul, five types of activities have been identified in consultation with the community and Kabul Municipality. These are, (i) Solid waste collection from households to collection points located in the Nahia, (ii) Tree Planting, (iii) Street sweeping, (iv) Curbs painting, and (v) Cleaning roadside ditches. CGC Programme will cover a total of 15 Nahias, including Nahia 1 to 17, with the exception of Nahias 11 and 15, over a duration of 12 months. These municipal services will be delivered regularly based on a minimum performance standard, as agreed by the Kabul Municipality and Nahia members. These activities will be delivered by empowering the local communities in planning and service delivery in coordination with the Municipality. To this end, Nahia Development Committees, have been established to deliver the activities within their respective geographical boundaries.

Speaking at the function, the mayor said, “The strategic priority of Municipality is to keep the city clean and green, Clean and Green cities (CGC) programme by assistance of USAID, EU and UN-Habitat starts its activities on ground. CGC will focus on sweeping streets, cleaning canals, greening and beautification of cities.”

The pilot programme in Nahias 1 and 2 will generate over 200 full-time unskilled jobs or 50,000 job days, for the target beneficiaries consisting of unemployed urban poor, IDPs and returnees, women, among others from the local community. In addition to the ground activities, a communications campaign will be prepared and launched to build community awareness towards Clean and Green Cities.

A female worker in the city, Fahia captured the frustration of those working towards a cleaner Kabul when she said, “one of our major problem is hugeness of solid waste in city, for prevention of diseases these solid waste should move from the city”