The Kabul Green Homes Project is built on experience and knowledge developed during implementation of the AFD-funded AFG-TAJ project. It has equipped homes in 15 districts in Kabul with energy-saving solutions, including solar passive verandas, thermal insulation packages, and devices that run on renewable energy, such as biogas digesters and solar cookers. The project focuses on those city districts most actutely affected by poor housing and pollution issues.

Kabul has seen a major influx of population in the last decade despite the security context, peaking from ca. 1 million to 5 million inhabitant in 2018. Construction and re-construction have thus been booming to meet the growing demand.

While Kabul housing sector encompasses traditional houses built of mud and straw together with modern buildings made of reinforced concrete or sometime a mix of both, the energy efficiency concern is largely underrated in the planning and construction of building.

As direct consequences of this situation, health issues rise due to thermal discomfort, economic vulnerability and energy poverty increase for households and, last but not least, air pollutants level rise to critical levels for all Kabul inhabitants. 

Kabul Green Homes Project is a four year initiative, implemented by Geres, in partnership with Afghan NGOs, Rural Movement Organization and Afghanistan Microfinance Association, in close collaboration with Municipality of Kabul.

The broader objective of the project is to produce large-scale and market driven Energy Savings Solutions (ESS), and ensure uptake of their consumption by individual households in Kabul.

The typical Energy Savings Solutions promoted by Geres and its partners range from solar passive verandas, thermal insulation packages, improving local kitchens, renewable energy solutions such as biogas digesters and solar cookers.

▪️ More than 4000 houses are equipped with energy saving solutions

▪️ 132 small and medium enterprises or craftsmen are trained and 79 are actively engaged in ESS disseminations

▪️ 700,000 people of targeted areas are informed of ESS and project through awareness campaign

▪️ A specific Green loan design and system has enriched the product portfolio aimed at microfinance institutions (MFI), to date, two MFIs provide green loan and 10 SMEs have been granted loans totalling 2461000 Afn (equivalent to 31551 USD)

▪️ A business intermediary, the Solar House Technician Association is supported on governance and business development for further uptake of the solutions after completion of the project

Photo by Sohaib Ghyasi on Unsplash