The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved an $18.28 million grant as additional financing for a project that aims to enhance agricultural productivity in northeast Afghanistan.

The additional financing for the Panj–Amu River Basin Sector Project will improve access to water and enhance the resilience of watersheds to disaster and climate risks by expanding project activities in Badakhshan, Kunduz, and Takhar provinces, ADB said in a statement on Thursday. 

ADB says the project will also help improve water access and management in six additional provinces, including Samangan, Baghlan, Bamiyan, Panjshir, Parwan, and Wardak.

“Agriculture remains a major engine of growth for Afghanistan and plays an important role in improving the lives of the Afghan people,” said ADB Senior Project Officer Mohammad Hanif Ayubi. “This additional financing will help Afghanistan in its recovery from COVID-19 by improving water availability for irrigated agriculture and creating more employment opportunities for rural communities.”

The Panj–Amu River Basin is a major production center for wheat, rice, vegetables, and fruit. Increasing agricultural productivity in the area is expected to help address food insecurity and increase per capita incomes in rural communities.