Migration and Urban Development in Kabul: Classification or Accommodation?

This study  by the Afghanistan Public Policy Research Organization (October 2012 ) was undertaken to examine issues of displacement due to population movement and urban growth, land and settlement patterns, access to basic services, urban infrastructure, and livelihood strategies by comparing different cohorts of in--‐migrants and host communities in Districts 5, 7 and 13 of Kabul.

The research sought to identify the current needs of the whole populations in these districts and to identify pathways forward for future planning and interventions through policy. The underlying assumption, subsequently confirmed during the research, was that “return” to the place of origin was not a viable option for the vast majority of the newcomers. Hence this research conceptualized the development of Kabul not as a temporary growth due to displacement but as a process of slumization, a prevalent phenomenon faced in major cities in less developed countries around the world. To this end, the focus of this study was the interactions and relations between the newcomers and the previously settled populations in the three selected districts.

The goal for this study was to gain a better and more accurate understanding of the issues surrounding urban in--‐migration in Kabul and to provide a sound basis for policy and other forms of intervention to improve the affected (host and incoming) populations.

About the Autors

Afghanistan Public Policy Research Organization (APPRO) is an independent social research organization promoting social and policy learning to benefit development and reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan. APPRO is registered with the Ministry of Economy (Registration Number: 1212) as a non--‐profit, not--‐for--‐profit, non--‐government organization and headquartered in Kabul, Afghanistan.  

The APPRO team responsible for this research consisted of Saeed Parto (Director of Research), Ahmad Shaheer Anil (Research and Evaluation manager), Jos Winters (Researcher), Ehsan M. Sadaat (Researcher), Mohsin Usyan (Researcher), Asad Shadan (Researcher), Zarghona Saify (Researcher), Nafasgul Karimi (Researcher), and Wahab Hazivi (Research consultant)