Installation and Demonstration of a Surface Water Gage
In the 1960’s and 70’s Afghanistan had a modern streamgage network of about 150 stations, but after 25 years of neglect the network has been completely destroyed. The World Bank will modernize and rehabilitate the hydrologic and meteorologic networks.
The USGS will take the lead role in capacity building of Afghanistan hydrologists and hydrologic technicians. As part of this effort the USGS will install a state of the art demonstration gage in the Kabul area to be used as a training facility as a beginning to capacity building.
The Panjshir River near Gulbahar has been selected as the site to establish as a demonstration gage. A USGS team of hydrologists accompanied by colleagues of USACE and MIWRE, and the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations visited the site on November 21, 2004. The team obtained a cross-section diagram of the river, took digital photos, and made measurements of the bridge and old cableway location.
The USGS collaborates with the World Bank, FAO, and MEW to provide advice and assistance on the Emergency Irrigation Restoration Program, Component B, Hydrometeorological Network. The demostration gage will be installed and operated in support of that Network. The USGS will lead a data collection training program to train hydrologists and hydrologic technicians of the Ministry of Water and Energy and local Universities.
