One of the lasting contributions of ICMA’s Afghanistan Municipal Strengthening Program (AMSP) promises to be the development of GIS maps and the adoption throughout the country of a single strategic municipal action plan (SMAP) approach based on the maps.

As part of the program, a four-member delegation from Afghanistan visited with planning experts in India during a study tour hosted by the Urban Management Centre (UMC), ICMA’s representative in South Asia. Participants included an AMSP senior urban planning advisor, two officials from the Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD) in Afghanistan, and an official from the budget department of Afghanistan’s Independent Directorate for Local Governance.

The study tour was designed to further a major objective of AMSP, which is capacity building; AMSP seeks to develop the ability of in-service ministry and municipal staffs to continue urban planning and management activities—as well as other municipal services—after the program ends. 

The tour was based in UMC’s home city of Ahmedabad, in Gujarat state. Participants heard presentations and participated in discussions with the urban development department of Gujarat and with planners from the Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority, focusing on the integration of physical, social, and economic planning and the process of participatory planning in India. 

Presentations covered the importance of urban planning, the need for updated base maps, and the mapping process used for preparation of base maps for Afghan cities. As a result of mapping work facilitated by AMSP and UMC in a small group of Afghan municipalities, the MoUD has committed to roll out the process to cities nationwide.

The visitors also sought to learn from Ahmedabad’s heritage management practices with the intention of developing the Afghan city of Ghazni into a Heritage City. They took home copies of laws and guidelines that could be adapted for use in Afghanistan. They also learned about other programs and services in Ahmedabad: solid waste management, slum upgrading, financial management, and development regulation.

Said UMC director Manvita Baradi: “Such technical exchanges bring the cultures together and help them understand each other’s management practices. Senior officers and organizations in Gujarat have extended support to the Afghan rebuilding process. This is heartening for us. We can accelerate the learning curve by sharing experiences and avoiding re-inventing the wheel." 

For more information, visit ICMA International or contact international@icma.org.