Objective:
The baseline assessment aims to establish key indicator values for the Climate Change Adaptation and Rural Livelihoods (CARL) Project across four provinces — Ghor, Ghazni, Nangarhar, and Nuristan. The goal is to support evidence-based programming by measuring vulnerabilities, adaptive capacities, and community perceptions related to climate resilience and rural livelihoods. This baseline will guide ongoing project monitoring and enable accurate evaluation of impact over time.
Methodology:
A robust mixed-methods approach was used to ensure comprehensive insights, combining both qualitative and quantitative techniques. Data collection included:
- Household Surveys: A total of 1,429 digital surveys were conducted across the four provinces to assess climate vulnerability, livelihoods, and adaptation practices.
- Key Informant Interviews (KIIs): 65 KIIs were conducted with government representatives, local leaders, and NGO staff to gather policy-level and contextual insights.
- Focus Group Discussions (FGDs): 26 FGDs explored community experiences, challenges, and climate resilience strategies.
- Observation Visits: 25 structured site observations and transect walks were carried out to visually assess environmental and infrastructural vulnerabilities.
- GIS & Mapping Tools: Geo-tagging and spatial analysis were employed to map household data and climate risks using GIS tools.
Data collection was facilitated through Kobo Toolbox, with analytical support from SPSS and GIS software to ensure rigor and accuracy.
Scope of Work:
Adroit Associates was responsible for the end-to-end implementation of the baseline assessment, including:
- Tool Development: Designing culturally appropriate and context-specific data collection instruments.
- Fieldwork Implementation: Managing data collection across challenging terrains using trained field teams.
- Data Validation and Cleaning: Ensuring data quality and integrity through systematic checks and real-time monitoring.
- Quantitative & Qualitative Analysis: Generating insights through statistical analysis and thematic coding.
- Geo-tagging and Spatial Analysis: Using GIS to enhance the depth and utility of findings.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Coordinating with implementing partners and local authorities throughout the assessment process.
- Reporting: Delivering a comprehensive baseline report, including visualizations, dashboards, and actionable recommendations for adaptive planning.
Key Findings and Impact:
While final results are pending due to the ongoing nature of the assessment, preliminary data reveals distinct regional disparities in adaptive capacity, access to resources, and livelihood vulnerability. The findings will serve as a foundation for climate-smart interventions, informing the CARL project’s efforts to strengthen rural resilience and sustainable development in Afghanistan’s most climate-affected regions.
This baseline assessment enables Afghanaid and its partners to track project outcomes over time and design adaptive, locally informed strategies for effective climate change mitigation and livelihood support.