Kabul Urban Survey - Groupe URD

4 EXISTING URBAN ANALYSIS
Research on Kabul city and Afghan urban issues in general has generated a lot of literature
from different actors involved in the urban sector: at a national level with the Ministry of
Urban Development (and Housing); at a local level with the Kabul Municipality; at an
international level with donors (World Bank and partners) and operational organisations,
such as the PNUD, UN-HABITAT and some international organisations such as AKTC-AKDN
or research institutions, such as AREU and Universities, etc. The present inventory of Kabul
urban issues takes its source from the points raised by this variety of research and analysis
on the sector, and includes urban policy issues, physical reconstruction issues
(infrastructure, housing and building materials), urban needs and urban priorities. Below, we
present some of the reports, research and recommendations that shed light on the situation
in Kabul. The complexity and interdependence of the various issues are presented as they in
the original text. Similarly, the different authors are not necessary in agreement as how the
different needs and solutions should be prioritised. A difference of views between the two
major institutional actors, the MUD and KM, is at the centre of the debate.
4.1 Kabul urban issues according to the MoUD
Kabul’s urban population is estimated at around 50-60% of the urban population in
Afghanistan as a whole. In this way, the urban issues affecting Afghanistan and Kabul in
particular are entirely dependent on the MoUD’s expertise, decisions and management. The
understanding of how the Ministry of Urban Development functions was the subject of a
previous report written by Groupe URD in April 2006, “Urban Sector Review”. Therefore, in
this report, we shall present an overview of the urban situation as seen by the MoUD’s
Deputy Minister.
4.1.1 Multiple issues & challenges but also multiple opportunities
Qiamuddin Djallalzada is the Deputy Minister, within the Ministry of Urban Development
(MoUD). In order to convey the official point of view of the Afghan government on the
development of Kabul, we present the main components of Mr Q. Djallazada’s presentation
on the situation entitled “Planning the future development of Kabul” 6 which was given at a
colloquium organised in Lausanne in 2005. Mr Djallazada believes that the urban situation of
Kabul will be shaped by global urbanisation trends: …“one of the critical global trends
shaping the future”. He explains that the reversal from a predominantly rural population
towards an urban population over the next decades is a fact. Afghanistan cannot escape this
global urban phenomenon. Just like other less developed regions, the urban population is
increasing particularly rapidly and the urban authorities are not sufficiently prepared to
manage the “most complex, dynamic and powerful systems” that cities represent today.
“Cities are intrinsically multidimensional in character”. The challenges are multiple with
interdependence of several factors. As well as the urgent need for reconstruction after the
destruction of the war, there appear to be two opportunities in this type of forced
urbanisation.
• Urban issues to tackle
On the one hand, extensive rehabilitation has to take place to ensure the significant need of
development:
“….Rapid urbanization is also resulting in dangerous pressures on antiquated infrastructure
that can not meet the water, electricity and other requirements of large portions of the
population, while problems of health and hygiene associated with high density settlements
are common. Infrastructure such as roads, traffic system, telephone system, electricity, water
6 Djallazada Q., “Planning the future development of Kabul,” in Development of Kabul –Reconstruction
and planning issues, issued from the Section entitled “Past and future of Kabul” for the colloquium
organised by MUNTAZ (B)-NOSHIS (K) ), Kabul, 2004
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