Renewable Energy Strategy for Afghan Villages 2017-2027

The Renewable Energy Strategy for Afghan Villages is a national Policy aims to produce safe and sustainable energy to improve the economy of the country and people’s wellbeing. The time frame of the Policy is 10 years between 2017 to 2027. The focus of the Policy is on the development of renewable energy, improvement of energy production efficiency, reduction of electricity importation, and creation of motion towards a low-carbon economy. Due to the role of renewable energies in employment and economic growth, this Policy is known as the most important economic Policy of the country. The Policy is outlined by the Ministry of Rehabilitation and Development of Rural Areas and should be implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Energy and Water. The ultimate objective of the Ministry Rehabilitation and Development of Rural Areas is to improve the lives of people living in rural areas and develop economic activities. Due to the accessibility of renewable energies, the lower cost of renewable energies’ technologies, and overall intention of the country to develop green energies, the Ministry consider the use of renewable energies as a basis for rural development. The ultimate objective of this Policy includes: prioritize provision of energy for areas where small-scale and medium-scale corporations are working in order to increase the speed of economic growth in rural areas; to reduce the dependency of the country to the importation of electricity and fossil fuels; to provide the needed energy of village households by renewable energies; to reduce the usage of hydrocarbon and solid fuels for cooking and heating; to reduce the environmental impacts of electricity production; to reduce production of greenhouse gases and their impacts on climate change; to improve gender equality through use of renewable energies; to create and develop proper legal frameworks; to support rural innovators and entrepreneurs through education, training, marketing, feasibility studies, business planning, management, financing, and fundraising; to harmonize renewable energy projects with irrigation, agriculture, industrial, educational, and health care programs. The Policy aims to increase the number of rural household’s electricity subscribers from 28% to 65% by the end of the Policy’s timeframe. The Ministry in cooperation with the National Standards Department should prepare a list of regulation, safety standards, and production, transportation, and supply instructions for the development of renewable energies’ infrastructure. To promote renewable energies in all economic sectors, the Government exempt all activities related to importation, supply, and maintenance of renewable energies infrastructure from taxes. The Policy emphasizes that the promotion of renewable energies should increase gender equality in the country. In this regard, the Policy asks for: promotion of role of women in use of renewable energies and improvement of public health; to increase social and economic activities of women in rural areas through education, basic services, and health programs; provision of efficient and effective heating and cooking equipment; increase the women cooperation in agriculture, animal husbandry, aviculture, and household handicrafts; increase the women employment. The Policy requires that at least 30% of staff in all renewable energy activities be employed among women.