Over the past decade or so, various countries in both the South Asia and Central Asia regions have engaged in a broad dialogue to create a regional energy market based largely on the export of gas and electricity from Central Asia to South Asia, in particular to Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. The Central Asia-South Asia Electricity Transmission and Trade Project (CASA-1000) aims to facilitate electricity trade between hydropower surplus countries in Central Asia and electricity deficient countries in South Asia by putting in place the commercial and institutional arrangements and the transmission infrastructure required for this trade.
In addition, the countries have proposed the implementation of targeted Community Support Programs (CSPs) in each country as part of the CASA-1000 project. The aim of these programs would be to improve livelihoods of the corridor communities and increase the shared prosperity associated with the project. The CSPs will first be implemented during the project’s construction phase to help create a more supportive environment for the project, especially among conflict-affected and vulnerable populations. In Afghanistan, CASA-1000 Transmission Line Project passes through approximately 700 communities in 32 districts of seven provinces including Kunduz, Baghlan, Panjshir, Kapisa, Kabul, Laghman and Nangarhar. Small infrastructure projects (priority will be given to electricity generating projects) would be implemented under the Community Support Program (CSP) in the Corridor of Influence (CoI) during the construction phase of CASA-1000 Project. Therefore, CASA-CSP is now underway in the provinces mentioned above under the Citizens’ Charter National Priority Program of the MRRD.
Since the commencement of CASA-CSP to date, around 700 CDCs are verified in the CoI, 510 community profile has been prepared. Similarly, 496 CDCs have been created and election has been done to pave the ground for CASA-CSP projects implementation. To mobilize the communities, well-being analysis has been conducted in 457 CDCs, out of 457 CDCs, 446 community development plans (CDP) have been prepared/revised. When it comes to project implementation under CASA-CSP, to date 306 proposals have been prepared for projects implementation in the sectors of irrigation, renewable energy, transport (road and bridge), water supply, sanitation and hygiene education and grid-extension. Out of 306 proposals, 220 proposals/projects are financed and the construction work is ongoing. The projects have paved the ground for hundreds of rural populations to have access to job-opportunities.
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