Building Climate Resilience in Afghanistan: Abdulhadi Achakzai’s Journey

In a country facing severe climate challenges, one organisation is making remarkable progress in building community resilience. This case study highlights how RedR’s ‘Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction’ (CCADRR) training has transformed the work of Abdulhadi Achakzai and his NGO, leading to innovative early warning systems and improved disaster preparedness across rural Afghanistan, and participation at COP29 in Baku. 

Abdulhadi Achakzai is the Founder and CEO of the Environmental Protection Trainings and Development Organization (EPTDO), a climate change-focused NGO operating in Afghanistan. EPTDO is committed to protecting the environment and promoting sustainable development across Afghanistan. To tackle these goals, EPTDO works to build resilient communities and ecosystems by focusing on climate adaptation, livelihood and agricultural development, and gender equality and inclusion.

EPTDO has over 1500 volunteers including 680 women that lead climate-centred workshops throughout the country, raising awareness about the impact of climate change in Afghanistan and the importance of mitigation measures.  

The transformative impact of RedR’s training 

Abdulhadi undertook the RedR 7-week CCADRR training between September and November 2024. This specialist course had a positive impact on how EPTDO approaches disaster preparedness and climate adaptation.

What made the course particularly valuable were the practical sessions where Abdulhadi gained critical technical expertise and tools that have directly transformed EPTDO’s programming. The impact was immediate and lasting as he confirms “I use the technologies, methodologies and skills I learned every day” 

From training to action: RedR’s methods in practice 

The CCADRR Afghanistan course introduced Abdulhadi to crucial methodologies, allowing EPTDO to better identify and manage disaster risks, ensuring interventions are more targeted and effective, especially for marginalised, rural communities in Afghanistan. 

One such technique Abdulhadi learned during the course was the use of early warning systems, which he went on to implement in practice. After completing the course, Abdulhadi and his team installed early warning systems in schools and mosques in rural communities of Afghanistan, ensuring they receive timely disaster alerts despite infrastructure and literacy challenges: 

• In schools: following course guidance on community engagement, EPTDO has worked with teachers to educate students on disaster preparedness strategies, including how to identify safe shelters during extreme weather events. Teachers play a key role in reinforcing this knowledge, ensuring students understand how to respond effectively to hazards. 

• In mosques: Using the communication strategies emphasised in the RedR training, loudspeakers are now used to broadcast critical alerts. Abdulhadi explains that EPTDO now “provide information to village elders to announce and disseminate information during any incidents”.  This ensures that even those without direct access to mobile networks or internet services receive timely warnings. 

Through integrating teachers and religious leader into the information network – a participatory approach strongly advocated in the CCADRR course – these systems enable rapid dissemination of warnings about heavy rain, flash floods and extreme temperatures. 

Creating a lasting legacy 

Another valuable outcome of the RedR training for Abdulhadi was the creation of a wider network of professionals in Afghanistan dedicated to climate resilience. The collaborative nature of the course provided participants opportunities to exchange best practices and learn from the experiences of others in the sector. This community of practice continues to exist beyond the course, with many of the participants remaining in touch and working together on relevant projects—extending the impact of RedR’s training far beyond the initial participants. 

From local implementation to global advocacy 

Following the completion of the CCADRR training, Abdulhadi represented Afghanistan at COP29 in Baku where he moderated a panel on “Breaking the Cycle of Vulnerability: Climate Action and Financing for Afghanistan’s future.” He has also chaired a national climate crisis research conference, and participated in panels where he raised awareness and advocated for global climate action to address the challenges that Afghanistan faces due to climate change.

These important accomplishments underscore the CCADRR programme’s role in supporting leaders already at the forefront of local climate response.

A foundation for change: measurable impacts of RedR’s CCADRR training 

Through the work Abdulhadi has undertaken with EPTDO, a direct impact of RedR’s CCADRR training can be seen on climate resilience efforts in Afghanistan. 

Through implementing early warning systems in schools and mosques, strengthening risk mapping efforts, and providing targeted climate education – all methodologies central to the course – Abdulhadi and EPTDO have taken key learnings from the training to improve community preparedness to disasters. 

These initiatives, directly informed by RedR’s capacity building approach, are empowering local communities to take proactive measures against climate risks, ensuring faster response times, better information dissemination, and stronger climate resilience efforts in Afghanistan. RedR’s training has proven to not just be informational but transformative for climate action in one of the world’s most vulnerable countries.

About the Project

We’ve adapted our existing Climate Change Adaption and Disaster Risk Reduction project to support locally-led drought resilience in Afghanistan and Somalia. Funded by the Howden Foundation, we’re providing free online certified training for local climate responders in drought-affected rural areas.

If you’d like to give financially to support this and similar projects for disaster-affected communities all over the world, you can do so here.