The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) requested and The United States Geological Survey (USGS) agreed to continue the operation and management of the Agro meteorological Project in Afghanistan, which has been funded by USAID for the last two years and managed by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO). USGS is providing services to USAID in Afghanistan on a wide range of activities through a Participating Agency Services Agreement (PASA) to help manage activities for which USAID needs additional management and technical capacity.

Agromet is the only project in Afghanistan, which provides validation of satellite monitoring and ground truth crop forecasts. It is building up an extensive national database and information system for hydro- and agroclimatic analyses, including 20 Agromet applications; crop yield forecasting models; water supply/demand monitoring and forecasting; irrigation and hydropower applications; snow melt and snow water equivalent modeling; runoff and water volume estimates; and validation of remotely sensed data and its derivatives. It can be extended very cost effectively in to a full GIS unit for strategic planning and policy advice. The Service provides early warning information through the set up of an agro meteorological network for targeted interventions and policy advice.

Background

Afghanistan is an arid and semi-arid country; Agro- and Hydro-meteorology play a vital role for several reasons:

1. Most of the problems that affect food production are related to weather conditions: drought/desertification, water stress, heat waves, strong wind, floods, and frost. Even pests and diseases directly depend on weather conditions
2. By continuously monitoring the weather, Agro meteorology looks at the causes of food shortage. For this reason, Agro meteorology can provide the earliest indications of impending problems for the food supply situation.
3. Agromet is determining probable crop water requirement and optimum irrigation charge per deckad or month.
4. It can establish optimum land suitability for crop type and cultivars given eco-zone climate conditions.
5. It can forecast pest infestation and plan disease probabilities. Potential cropping areas at risk during specific phonological stages can be mapped against favorable infestation/disease climatic criteria and even probability of migratory pest routes can be calculated.
6. The data can be used for dam operation including hydropower generation through stream flow monitoring and forecasting.
7. The data is significantly important for the validation and calibration of the remotely sensed data and its derivatives.
8. Through production and management of clean agrometeorological data, subsequent analyses, mats etc., Agromet assists governmental strategic decision making and provides input into policy advice.

Objectives

The objectives of this activity are:

1. To assist the Afghan Government in their efforts to collect and analyze meteorological and agricultural data as it relates to crop production, irrigation, water supply, energy and aviation.
2. Play a key role in the institutional capacity building and training of Afghan in the field of Agro- and Hydro-meteorology.
3. To statistically monitor, assess and study drought and its possible repercussions on the natural resources in a long-term desertification process.
4. To statistically monitor floods and its impact on the livelihood
5. To prepare and publish monthly agroclimatic bulletins, seasonal analyses, special flashes and specific requests of stake holders and to disseminate the obtained products to the end users, decision-makers, International Agencies and NGO's.

Accomplishments

• Installed 113 observation sites:
  1. all the 113 are recording daily rain and snow
  2. 80 out of 113 are reporting in addition to rain and snow on crops (wheat, rice, barley and maize) and pasture and grazing twice a month (fortnightly forms) including crop condition (all the weather adverse factors, shortage of inputs, weed, pests and diseases infestations) and crop phonological stages (including land preparation) in addition to areas planted (% of the total by agricultural zone), planting and harvesting dates in addition to the expected yields during the agricultural year and final obtained yields after the harvesting.
  3. Out of 113, 21 sites are complete agrometeorological stations (three observations daily), with 19 classical stations recording 7 weather parameters and 5 automatic stations that can report on up to 20 weather parameters at daily step.
• Agromet Project built Agrometeorological Database Management
• Training: all the observers and other Specialists coming from different organizations including NGOs and four Afghan Ministries on Agrometeorological techniques and tools. Up to 196 persons were trained by Agromet Project in Agrometeorology methods and tools even in computer use in addition to instruments principle/concepts and observation techniques (physical and biological sides).
• Agromet has up to now almost 120 person's staff to manage including three National counterparts (one from MAAH and two from Meteorological Department).
• Agromet established a preliminary (with the available short time series data) the "Crop (Wheat) Yield Forecasting Agrometeorological Model" (statistics basis) to be able to forecast the wheat production three months before the harvesting. More data are needed to develop more accurate crop performance index for wheat and other major crops in Afghanistan.
• Agromet prepared regular Monthly Agromet Bulletins
• Agromet up to now, prepared and disseminated up to 19 Extension Technical Manuals and Training Courses Material (biggest one: "Dari Training Manual": 249 pages)
• Network of users and providers, Agromet Project is working closely with USGS (Data and products) related to FEWS-NET (Famine Early Warning System Network) and several other partners including FAO, WFP, ICARDA, and DACAAR.
• Agromet is providing timely all the needed information related to the climate impact on agriculture and water supplies.
• Recently, Agromet is providing a weekly special agrometeorological report to the Afghan Cabinet.

Proposed Tasks

1. To consolidate (e.g. adequate transmission tools to receive timely the field recorded data), extend (e.g. more observations and records on crops, watersheds, rangeland and forest areas), maintain and improve the existing Agrometeorology network (e.g. ground truthing and data quality control), install more recording stations and enhance agrometeorological database to better serve the needs.
2. To enhance the use of an operational crop yield forecasting system for major crops based on the impact analysis of climate and irrigation water on crop yields.
3. To statistically monitor, assess and study flood and drought and its possible impacts on livelihood and repercussions on the natural resources. Develop a national monitoring and early warning system for use by the Afghan decision makers and international agencies in targeted interventions, strategic regional and/or sectoral planning and policy advice.
4. To prepare and publish monthly agroclimatic bulletins, seasonal analyses, special flashes and specific requests of stake holders and to disseminate the obtained products to the end users, decision-makers, International Agencies and NGO's through internet and other media
5. To further strengthen the capacity of Afghan Experts in MAAH and Afghan Meteorological Authority (AMA) in agroclimatic and remote sensing techniques used to quantitatively assess the impact of weather conditions on agriculture and water resources in specific ecological zones.