KABUL (Pajhwok): Japan and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) have launched a $9.3 million, three-year project to strengthen climate resilience and water security in Kabul province through small-scale infrastructure and community-led disaster risk reduction. Under the project, check dams, water reservoirs, irrigation canals, and riverbank protection structures will be constructed to recharge aquifers and control storm water. “Japan has shared its expertise in disaster risk management worldwide. It empowers communities to lead their own responses to climate risks by combining UNOPS’ technical expertise with Japanese innovation,” she noted. The initiative aligns with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and Sustainable Development Goals 6 and 13, building on UNOPS’ experience of delivering more than 4,000 small-scale infrastructure projects across Afghanistan since 2022.