Water Supply and Sanitation

One of our core activities is providing rural communities with access to safe water. To date, over 38,000 water points across Afghanistan have DACAAR's name engraved into their foundations transforming the lives of over six million Afghans.

Whenever we install a new water point, our laboratory in Kabul tests the water and wells are only handed over to communities if the water is found to be of an acceptable quality and quantity. When the water is not up to standard, the well is closed and another dug in a different location agreed by the community.

What is more, whenever we install a new water point, we also build several demonstration latrines for communities to copy.

In addition to installing new water points, our operation and maintenance team also visits communities to mend DACAAR as well as non-DACAAR water pumps, so as to ensure that all water points remain in full working order.

As an organisation, we are always looking for new and innovative ways to improve our projects. One example of this is the use of solar pumps instead of traditional diesel-consuming ones in areas where the water table is too deep for hand pumps. In addition to their lower operational and maintenance costs, solar pumps are an environmentally friendly solution to meet immediate needs.

The long-term sustainability of all our projects is ensured, firstly, by involving communities, both men and women, at all stages of the project and, secondly, by the establishment of community based maintenance systems.

Having worked in Afghanistan for over 25 years, we are keen to share our experience and knowledge with others and are currently developing a WatSan Applied Knowledge Centre to achieve this goal.

Case Study

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Women and Development

As an organisation we are highly committed to the active involvement of women in the development process. Ho...

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Hygiene Education

At DACAAR, we realise that it takes more than the provision of safe water to transform lives. Th...

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A well is being drilled in a returnee settlement in Nangarhar province as part of DACAAR’s water supply and sanitation activities. Wells provide vulnerable families with clean and easily accessible water, reducing mortality and the burden on women and chi
A well is being drilled in a returnee settlement in Nangarhar province as part of DACAAR’s water supply and sanitation activities. Wells provide vulnerable families with clean and easily accessible water, reducing mortality and the burden on women and chi
A trainer from DACAAR’s hygiene education team delivers a message about proper hygiene and sanitation practices to families in Nangarhar province as part of DACAAR’s continued effort to reduce the mortality and morbidity caused by waterborne diseases.
A trainer from DACAAR’s hygiene education team delivers a message about proper hygiene and sanitation practices to families in Nangarhar province as part of DACAAR’s continued effort to reduce the mortality and morbidity caused by waterborne diseases.
A tanker provides desperately needed water to families in a returnee settlement in Nangarhar province as part of DACAAR’s emergency response efforts.
A tanker provides desperately needed water to families in a returnee settlement in Nangarhar province as part of DACAAR’s emergency response efforts.
As part of DACAAR’s Water Supply and Sanitation activities a motorized pipe scheme and reservoir were installed to provide families in Faryab province with clean and easily accessible water.
As part of DACAAR’s Water Supply and Sanitation activities a motorized pipe scheme and reservoir were installed to provide families in Faryab province with clean and easily accessible water.
Women make candles to sell in the local market as part of DACAAR's vocational training activities to facilitate economic empowerment of women.
Women make candles to sell in the local market as part of DACAAR's vocational training activities to facilitate economic empowerment of women.
DACAAR installs hand pumps, like the one featured, in order to provide villages with safe, clean water.
DACAAR installs hand pumps, like the one featured, in order to provide villages with safe, clean water.
As part of DACAAR’s rural development activities, farmers are provided with training in Saffron growing as an alternative to opium farming. The project also trains women to be essential actors in the growing and harvesting of saffron.
As part of DACAAR’s rural development activities, farmers are provided with training in Saffron growing as an alternative to opium farming. The project also trains women to be essential actors in the growing and harvesting of saffron.
A beneficiary of one of DACAAR’s Natural Resource Management uses drip irrigation to grow crops in Faryab province. Training farmers to effectively use limited water resources is a key element of DACAAR projects to improve the livelihoods of the Afghan pe
A beneficiary of one of DACAAR’s Natural Resource Management uses drip irrigation to grow crops in Faryab province. Training farmers to effectively use limited water resources is a key element of DACAAR projects to improve the livelihoods of the Afghan pe
A beneficiary demonstrates his newly acquired welding skills provided through DACAAR’s rural development capacity building activities.
A beneficiary demonstrates his newly acquired welding skills provided through DACAAR’s rural development capacity building activities.
DACAAR promotes community empowerment by working directly with village councils in the implementation of all projects.
DACAAR promotes community empowerment by working directly with village councils in the implementation of all projects.