In 1982, when the first Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP) was started in Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral, the rugged region was one of the poorest areas in the developing world. Isolated and bypassed by advancements elsewhere, these rural communities of different ethnic and religious backgrounds struggled to eke out a meagre living, farming small holdings in the harsh environment of this mountainous desert ecosystem. The 1.3 million people in the AKRSP programme area lived in small villages widely dispersed throughout an area covering almost 90,000 square kilometres, an area larger than Ireland.
AKRSP’s challenge over the last 36 years has been to create inclusive processes of development that diverse communities could participate in and sustain. Notable achievements include a significant increase in incomes (AKRSP contributed to the doubling of farm incomes in Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral), the construction of hundreds of bridges, irrigation channels and small infrastructure projects, and the planting of tens of millions of trees.
- Strengthening Local Support Organisations (LSOs) as well as community-level Village and Women’s organisations (V/WOs) with training and financial support so that they are better able to plan and manage social and economic development activities;
- Strengthening agricultural livelihoods by improving water management, diversifying farming systems and strengthening connections between agricultural suppliers, producers and processors;
- Generating non-farm employment and developing entrepreneurial skills through training and market development;
- Promoting financial inclusion through community-based savings groups; and
- Improving the availability and quality of small- and medium-scale infrastructure in order to strengthen livelihood opportunities and improve access to markets and social services.
AKRSP interventions have reached approximately 206,615 households.
Local Support Organisations (LSOs) are central to the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP)’s approach to local participation and play an important role in planning and implementing rural development activities in agriculture, non-farm enterprise, employment, and infrastructure. So far 81 LSOs are formed in GBC with 4,163 member organisations.
The majority of households in Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral remain dependent on agriculture for their income and the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP) has played a central role in increasing productivity and improving marketing of local produce.
