Bamiyan.
• For the short term, it is recommended to promote and subsidize improved cooking stoves.
• In the long term, it is advised to subsidize cleaner fuel types such as electricity and kerosene. However, this solution is less cost effective and its applicability is limited to a certain part of the population who can afford the change. Strategies proposed to solve the problem of energy contribute largely to solving this issue.
Social Sustainable Development Strategies Afghanistan is known for its cultural and ethnic diversity. Being the interconnection between many different cultures since the beginning of its foundation, it has been described as“ The Roundabout of Asia”( UNESCO 2014). Bamiyan city is located at the Hazarajat, the homeland of Hazara people, a religious minority in Afghanistan, who represent the majority of Bamiyan population besides that Tajiks( UNESCO 2014).
Strategies proposed under this section aim to ensure provision of essential social services required for the wellbeing of Bamiyan population, revive and celebrate the rich culture of Bamiyan city, and establish a sense of belonging among individuals. Recommendations cover three main aspects: health, education, and promoting the culture of peace.
a. Health and Educational Facilities According to the UNDESA Division for Sustainable Development( 2011), provision of basic education and healthcare facilities must be prioritized to economic growth and infrastructure rehabilitation projects. The following strategies are proposed to enhance education and health care facilities in Bamiyan:
Short Term Solutions
• Prioritize and focus on provision of primary education since it requires fewer resources, yet has a great impact on the community( UNDESA DSD 2011).
• Establishment of community-based primary learning facilities to meet the needs of the villages that lack schools or suffer from the problem of inaccessibility to nearby schools due to distance, harsh climate, mountain terrain, and unavailability of adequate connecting roads. A successful example is the Let Us Learn initiative by the UNICEF, which involves creating local community-based learning centers that provides basic education for children who are deprived of it. Such centers can provide informal education to the children and are considered only as temporary solutions, however, they enable them to join formal education when the opportunity comes up and protect them from being left behind( UNICEF 2015).
• Building capacities for both education and health sectors and provide training opportunities.
• Collaboration with other major cities in Afghanistan to arrange for medical residency programs in Bamiyan( WHO 2013).
• Arrange clinical rotation between urban and rural areas to fight the maldistribution of workers in health disciplines( WHO 2013).
Long Term Solutions
• Development of the roads network in Bamiyan city to ensure better connectivity for the villagers and the social services. This aspect also contributes to the economic development of the city.
• Facilitate the enrolment of Bamiyan youth in health discipline programs and subsidize education for return of service( WHO 2013).
• Development of tertiary education to help build the human capacity needed to support the
356 ZEMCH 2015 | International Conference | Bari- Lecce, Italy