05 December 2003
Provincial Reconstruction Teams Help Build Afghanistan's Future
Sixth PRT office opened in Herat
By David Shelby
Washington File Staff Writer
Washington -- A tree-planting ceremony was deemed a fitting ritual to mark the opening of the sixth Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) headquarters in Herat, western Afghanistan, December 1.
The PRTs are a growing part of the reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan. The original concept grew from a desire on the part of coalition partners to help the Kabul government reach out across the diverse provinces and unite the country behind the national rebuilding process adopted by Afghan leaders in Bonn, Germany, in December, 2001.
The function of the PRTs is to work with local officials and populations in rebuilding the physical and administrative infrastructure that in many places has been reduced to rubble by decades of war. Specific projects include the rehabilitation of government buildings, such as fire and police stations, law courts and communications installations as well as economically significant infrastructure such as bridges, dams and roads.
Afghan and coalition officials hope that the PRTs will be able to contribute to a greater sense of security in the provinces and help revitalize economic activity, allowing local populations to see the positive impact of the Bonn Process.
PRTs are typically located in remote parts of the country where non-governmental organizations do not have a significant presence, often due to security concerns. Officials hope that the PRTs will help attract NGOs to these regions by bringing about increased security and stability.
The PRT program was launched in November 2002, and the first three pilot offices were established in Gardez, Bamiyan and Konduz. The success of those offices led to the construction of three more houses in Mazar-e-Sharif, Parwan and now Herat. Coalition plans currently call for 12 PRT houses in total with the next three scheduled for construction in Jalalabad, Kandahar and Qalat.
Civil affairs teams from the coalition partners' forces man the offices and circulate within the provinces to meet with local leaders and identify projects that need to be undertaken. Local laborers are then hired to work with the team in carrying out the project. Most project budgets range from $50,000 to $150,000.
Lt. Col. John Lineweaver, commander of the new Herat office, points to an example of a worthwhile project in his region -- an abandoned Soviet era cement plant on the outskirts of town. "If we do the homework ... it could mean 5,000 jobs," he said.
The Herat office will serve the provinces of Herat, Farah, Ghowr and Badghis, accounting for about 20 percent of Afghanistan's territory and some 3 million inhabitants.
(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
This page printed from: http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2003&m=December&x=20031205180946ndyblehs0.5692865&t=usinfo/wf-latest.html
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