Sustainable Construction in Afghanistan
Abstract
This thesis examines whether current reconstruction methods in Afghanistan are economically efficient and effective with respect to the counterinsurgency mission. My argument is that they are not, due to the absence of culturally correct, indigenous construction materials and techniques. This research explores the impact of construction as a part of a counterinsurgency mission, drawing on local cultural factors and building techniques in constructing new facilities in Afghanistan. If current methods are not sustainable either culturally or economically, then the reconstruction efforts are likely to fail, incentivize corruption, and weaken the legitimacy of the Afghan government. If, on the other hand, they are sustainable and sensitive to local cultural norms and economic capacity, the likelihood of these projects increasing the quality of life, building positive relationships, and decreasing violence, increases significantly. If reconstruction fails to increase the ability of the Afghan government to develop the capacity at the local level, the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) will not have anyone to which it can transfer responsibility for local government services. This would seriously inhibit the ability of ISAF to transition to Afghan control and, given the current political environment in the United States, potentially lead to the failure of the Afghan campaign.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2010
- Accession Number
- ADA531592
Entities
People
- Legena M. Malan
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School