Energy Afghanistan is one of the lowest countries in the world when it comes to electricity consumption per capita , and around two thirds of the population does not have access to stable power . Bamiyan City is one of the areas that suffer harshly from the absence of a stable and reliable source of power . This issue , according to the United Nations Development Program , is the biggest challenge that is slowing down its development ( NPR 2015 ).
Current Attempts Toward Sustainable Development
United Nations Environmental Programme ( UNEP ) UNEP , through the sub-program Disasters and Conflict , focuses on areas that go through natural and human-made disasters , wars and conflicts . The role of UNEP is to provide post-crisis assessment and recovery plan by proposing recommendations . It also collaborates with local authorities and governments to enhance resource management and reduce risks , provide them with training services and technical assistance when needed . During the past decade , UNEP successfully formed Afghanistan ’ s National Environmental Protection Agency ( NEPA ), developed an Environmental Impact Assessment sector and strengthened planning for Climate Change adaptation ( United Nations Environment Program 2015 ).
Group for the Environment , Renewable Energy and Solidarity ( GERES ) GERES is a non-governmental organization that focuses on clean and sustainable energy and preservation of natural resources by developing technologies and providing services that help reduce fuel poverty issues in the world . GERES have been working on a number of projects to enhance the energy efficiency levels of homes and public buildings in different cities in Afghanistan . In 2014 , GERES started working on a new project in Bamiyan , aims at improving the energy efficiency of houses and provide affordable solutions to heat spaces during harsh winters . The project also attempts to spread awareness at the community level ( GERES 2015 ).
Strategies for Sustainable Development in Bamiyan City
In this section , a comprehensive set of solutions and recommendations have been proposed to lay the foundation of a sustainable development in Bamiyan City . The recommendations will be divided into two sections : 1 . Provides generic guidelines for sustainable development is post-conflict areas adopted from Developed Guidance Notes on National Sustainable Development Strategies in Post-conflict Countries published by the UNDESA , Division for Sustainable Development .
2 . Provides specific and more detailed solutions for the challenges that are standing in the way of development in Bamiyan .
Generic Strategies
According to the UNDESA Division for Sustainable Development , the following must be taken into consideration :
• Effort must be put into establishing a comprehensive understanding of the nature of the conflict in Afghanistan in general and in Bamiyan City more specifically . It is imperative that planning for a sustainable development in a post-conflict country addresses conflict relapse prevention , which is highly possible in many cases . One of the important facts to be taken into consideration in Bamiyan is that the population is mainly composed of Hazara people , currently a religious minority in Afghanistan .
Post-conflict sustainable development of Bamiyan city in Afghanistan 353