Afghanistan: Poverty, Vulnerability & Social Protection, An initial assessment March 2005 Human Development Unit South Asia Region, World Bank. Team leader Christine Allison. [1.6MB]

Afghanistan: Poverty, Vulnerability & Social Protection, An initial assessment - Dari summary [288MB]

The report draws extensively on the NRVA 2003. This report on poverty, vulnerability and social protection seeks to provide a first comprehensive study of the situation facing the people of Afghanistan, highlighting the relationship between poverty, risk and vulnerability. Specifically, the objectives of the report are:

(i)  to gain a more in-depth understanding of poverty and vulnerability as experienced by different socio-economic groups;

(ii) to examine the range of risk-management instruments (informal and formal) that are available and to better understand their effectiveness; and

(iii) to suggest the parameters of a broad-based poverty reduction strategy.

Nutritional Risk in Afghanistan: Evidence from the NSS pilot study (2003-2004) & NRVA 2003.  July 2005 [1.8MB] Wendy Johnecheck & Diane Holland, Feinstein International Famine Center, Tufts University in collaboration with Ministry of Public Health, Afghanistan
 

This document completed by the Feinstein International Famine Center at Tufts University and aims to augment the other NRVA and NSS reports by presenting the findings with focus on nutritional outcomes.

The analysis and discussion provides public health professionals a perspective on the impact of broader outcomes on nutritional status within the country. It also offers other service professionals working on promoting infrastructure development, economic growth and livelihood security, an understanding the impact of their work on nutritional outcomes.

Moving out of poverty-migration insights from Afghanistan January 2005. [227KB] Negar Ghobadi, Johannes Koettl & Renos Vakis (University of California, Berkeley & World Bank)

Using household level data collected during NRVA 2003 in rural Afghanistan, this paper presents a first quantitative look into the role of migration as a poverty reduction strategy for rural households. With widespread poverty in rural Afghanistan and scarce income generating opportunities, migration is a key risk management and income diversification instrument for rural households. The analysis suggests a number of insights:

(i) migration is used less as an ex-post response to risks and shocks and more as a vital part of households’ limited ex-ante risk management strategies;

(ii) there is a strong correlation between poverty and migration destination, with less poor households more likely to migrate abroad while poorer households are more likely to migrate internally to rural or urban areas;

(iii) simulations indicate that economic growth via strengthening of the local context in terms of employment generation will have a large influence on migration patterns. While such findings suggest that as rural growth expands migration is likely to become less important for households’ income strategies, in the medium term, policies could also focus on how to facilitate the flow of remittances and promote their productive use locally as a strategy of enhancing rural growth and poverty reduction.

NRVA 2003 Report on Gender Themes May 2005[1.3MB]

Dominique de Bonis, UNIFEM & WFP

This report analyses NRVA 2003 data from a gender perspective.  While NRVA 2003 collected gender disaggregated data fro many indicators, there were still data limitations for gender analysis.  The NRVA data revealed a need for quality community-level educational and vocational interventions in all sectors, coupled with increased access to microfinance and credit opportunities. Men and women alike need to acquire contextually appropriate skills and knowledge that allow them to establish low-cost income generating
activities that respond to local community needs and satisfy their own basic survival requirements. At the same time, the interventions suggested aim to address either directly or indirectly, some of the more severe gaps in service provision revealed by the NRVA data. Where policy and state provision of facilities, services and safety nets are slow in the coming, communities and vulnerable households must be empowered to encourage the development process from the bottom-up.

NRVA 2003 Education report English April 2005 [1.7MB)

NRVA 2003 Education Report Pushto April 2005 [2.0MB]

NRVA 2003 Education Report Dari April 2005 [1.8MB]

by Craig Naumann, Ed Kissam, Helen Kirby; WFP, USAID/APEP and Save the Children USA.

The education working group established to analyse and report on NRVA 2003 comprised of representatives from WFP, USAID/APEP and Save the Children USA. Indicators relating to school enrolment, access and literacy were analysed and policy and planning recommendations.

Education Gender Disparity in Afghanistan_Farzana Rashid [650KB]

Using data from the National Risk and Vulnerability Assessment Survey this report investigates the obstacles against child education in Afghanistan with deeper focus on girls’ education. Cross country data shows that in spite of some gender bias in education the major causes of non attendance are long school distance, poverty and child labor. These factors significantly affect school attendance of both genders.

NRVA Policy Brief Sep 04 [122 KB]
NRVA Policy Brief Sep 04-Dari [122 KB]

NRVA Policy Brief Summary Sep 04 [50 KB]
The document intends to provide policymakers with a clear overview of the main findings and potential policy insights arising from the National Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (NRVA)2003,  a rural survey undertaken in every Afghan province during the summer of 2003.

NRVA 2004 & NRVA 2003 food insecurity Provincial & District estimates [184KB]

NRVA 2004 was a modeled update of the the provincial and district food insecurity estimates from NRVA 2003.  The update used income data to construct a rural livelihood income model.  Agricultural incomes were modified inline with the change in vegetation indices (NDVIs from satellite images) from 2003 to 2004 growing season and updated with prevailing summer 2004 market prices.

Preliminary findings of the NRVA 2003 - Dec 2003 [750KB]
Preliminary findings of the NRVA - data tables Dec 2003 [420KB]
Estimates of the insecure population based upon income data for rural Afghans from NRVA 2003 wealth group data are presented.

Women at work: Gender, wealth, wages and employment in rural Afghanistan, 2002-2003  Hector Maletta;  Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry
FAAHM Food, Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Information Management
and Policy Unit; November 2003 [248KB]

This is a simple presentation of information on employment and rural wages by gender, obtained mainly from the NRVA 2003: Ministry of Agriculture/FAO.

Grain and the Chaff: Crop residues and the cost of production of wheat in Afghanistan in a farming-system perspective  Hector Maletta July 2004. [922KB]
This paper draws upon NRVA 2003 data as well as the Winter Agricultural Survey [December 2002-January 2003] and the 2003 Nationwide Crop Output Assessment out in two phases to monitor the two main harvest seasons during 2003.  The aim of the paper is to give an account of the structure of costs of production for wheat, taking into account the role of the wheat crop in the farming systems existing in the country, and especially its relationship to the livestock sector.

Human Security & Livelihoods of Rural Afghans, 2002-2003  [10.2MB]
Human Security & Livelihoods of Rural Afghans, 2002-2003- Summary [33KB]
Human Security & Livelihoods of Rural Afghans, 2002-2003 Dari [9.5MB] June 2004
This report by the Feinstein International Famine Centre, Tufts University, documents and analyses recent countrywide trends in the relationship between human security and livelihoods throughout rural Afghanistan from 2002-2003. All countrywide information is generated by analysis of 2003 NRVA survey data. 
 

The report emphasizes the important links among four key aspects of human security in the livelihoods of rural Afghans and the prospects for peace and development in the country in the longer term.  The four aspects of human security are:

1. Human rights and personal security
2. Societal and community security
3. Economic and resource security
4. Governance and political security

The report also examines and analyzes the formal, traditional, and customary mechanisms that are in place to address injustice and mitigate security and livelihood threats for the rural Afghan population.  Policy recommendations are made based on findings and analyses.  Full report and summary below.

Study of data relating to alternative livelihoods in Afghanistan [432KB]

Walter Odero - GRM

This report looks at the patterns between estimates of welfare and opium planting, and finds that opium planting patterns at the time NRVA 2003 cannot be predicted by access to markets, poverty , levels of security, wheat production levels, household migration patterns, nor access to education or health services.

Agricultural contribution to rural income & landless rate NRVA 2003 [168KB] Vulnerability Analysis Unit-MRRD

An analysis at provincial level was made of the percent contribution agriculture to arrive income to overrule household income based on NRVA 2003 wealth group income data.  Also at provincial level, and analysis of the rate of landlessness.

What are rural Afghans eating: initial insights from NRVA 2003 AFSN Bulletin April 04[1MB]
Initial analysis of dietary diversity data from NRVA 2003 was produced by the Vulnerability Analysis Unit and published in the April 2004 edition of the Afghan Network on Food Security monthly bulletin.

Initial analysis of dietary diversity data from NRVA 2003 was produced by the Vulnerability Analysis Unit and published in the April 2004 edition of the Afghan Network on Food Security monthly bulletin.

NRVA emergency assessment of 3 districts of Zabul May 2004 [160KB]

Reports of acute water and food shortages from 3 districts (Shinkay, Atghar & Now Bahar) in Zabul province lead to an emergency assessment conducted by MRRD/WFP/Kandahar University (25^th April - 2^nd May 2004).   Four villages in each three districts were surveyed and a total of 96 household interviewed.  The methods used were the same as NRVA 2003.  These districts had not been surveyed in 2003 because of poor security. While poor security conditions continued, the assessment was conducted by MRRD and University of Kandahar staff. The report focuses on food consumption, coping strategies and household perceptions.