Aga Khan Development Network Research Articles

The Aga Khan Development Network’s (AKDN) approach to supply chain carbon foot printing for healthcare providers

Very few examples of footprints exist for lower-middle-income countries and none for low-income countries. Where footprints do exist, they suggest that healthcare in LMICs is more carbon intensive per unit of expenditure than in high-income or upper-middle-income countries. At the same time, delivery of global commitments on Universal Health Coverage implies that healthcare provision in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) must grow more rapidly than anywhere else in the word.There has been little or no access to appropriate, comprehensive but affordable support to enable operations in LMICs to calculate full Scope 1,2 and 3 footprints. Without this it has been challenging for operations in LMICs to effectively target actions to reduce their emissions.With this in mind this paper sets out to demonstrate an approach to carbon foot printing healthcare in LMICs that is sufficiently robust to support targeted action, while using tools, resources and data that are freely accessible in all countries.This paper describes and discusses a 4-tiered ‘hybrid’ approach, developed using the international Greenhouse Gas Protocol. The approach was used successfully by staff to generate carbon footprints for healthcare organisations in 8 LMICs in South and Central Asia and East Africa. The organisations covered all fall within the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN); specifically, the Aga Khan Health Services (AKHS) and the Aga Khan Universities (AKU)The principles discussed in this paper, have been used to build a comprehensive carbon management tool in Microsoft Excel. The use of the approach and the tool has enabled AKDN healthcare providers to effectively, baseline, target and structure their carbon reduction activity.This work has had to pragmatically balance accuracy with deliverability in an LMIC context. While footprinting for Scope 1 and 2 has followed standard protocols, proxy data has been used to generate high level supply chain footprints, this has then been refined with data from suppliers.The tool and its accompanying guide are published and available, free to use, from AKDN to support other healthcare organisations in footprinting and reducing their own carbon emissions.

Мягкая сила АКДН как угроза интересам России в Центральной Азии

The paper examines the activities of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), which has an extensive network of socio-economic development agencies in Central Asia. The purpose of the research was to study the soft power tools of the AKDN in three countries of the Central Asia region: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. The authors point out that the AKDN projects on socio-economic development play the role of soft power tools through which the organization promotes Western values and the interests of Western structures. The article concludes that the AKDN poses a threat to Russia’s interests in the countries of Central Asia.

Aga Khan IV and Contemporary Isma‘ili Identity: Pluralist Vision and Rooted Cosmopolitanism

Cosmopolitan engagement and pluralism are consistent themes that run through the Isma‘ili community’s history and continue to be an integral characteristic of the community’s identity. The present Isma‘ili Imam, Karim Aga Khan IV, has been lauded as a champion of pluralism and recognized for his commitment to cosmopolitan ethics which feature prominently in his discourses to both Isma‘ili adherents and other communities. Although the Isma‘ilis have faced vilification and massacres in the course of history, this Muslim minority community has come to be recognized for its endeavors in the area of pluralism and bridge-building under the leadership of Aga Khan IV. The Imam offers religious and worldly guidance from his residence in France, where he has established a Secretariat that includes a number of departments that steer the various communal (jama‘ati) institutions as well as his non-denominational Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN). This non-denominational organization established by Aga Khan IV has emerged as a world leading non-governmental organization providing a number of programs toward improving the quality of life of Muslims and others across the globe. Through his institutions, Aga Khan IV stresses the need for a healthy pluralism that is supported by dialogue and engagement with diversity. One such institution is the Global Centre for Pluralism based in Ottawa, Canada—an international research institution whose activities are underpinned by the Imam’s ethico-religious interpretation of the Islamic faith and commitment to civil society. Aga Khan IV’s discourse of pluralism and cosmopolitan ethics has placed his community at the forefront of engagement with an increasingly diverse world.

Developing COVID-19 emergency response centres in geographically challenged areas of Pakistan: A case study of the Aga Khan Development Network.

The inevitable COVID‐19 global pandemic has severely affected Pakistan’s fragile healthcare system. The system was already facing a significant burden of noncommunicable and other infectious diseases, and the pandemic further exacerbated the disease and the healthcare burden in Pakistan. In such a situation, people who live in geographically challenged areas with limited healthcare infrastructure and resources are more vulnerable to the impacts of a pandemic. The authors share the experience of the development of emergency response centres (ERCs) in the rural remote mountainous regions of Pakistan–Chitral, an initiative that the Government of Pakistan and Aga Khan Health Service Pakistan (AKHSP) implemented to manage the increasing rates of COVID‐19 cases in these areas. The authors outline the processes that need to be undertaken to develop such healthcare facilities in a short period of time and discusses the challenges of establishing and operating these centres and the lessons learnt during and after the development of these centres in the remote mountainous regions of Pakistan.

Decolonising images? The liberation script in Mozambican history textbooks

Article developed in the scope of “Knowledge for Development Initiative”, supported by the Aga Khan Development Network and the FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology, IP (no. 333162622), under of the project “Memories, cultures and identities: how the past weights on the present-day intercultural relations in Mozambique and Portugal?”.

The Operation of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) in Central Asia.

The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) was founded in 1967 by Aga Khan 4, the spiritual leader of the Shi’i Imami Nizari Ismaili Muslims. Guided by the Islamic ethics of helping the needy, the AKDN seeks to improve the quality of life of the poor in 30 countries. While inspired by faith, the organizations of the AKDN are secular in nature and reject any kind of proselytization. The AKDN has been present in Central Asia since early 1990’s where it manages concerted and integrated developmental programs to attain economic, social and cultural development. Operating in Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, the AKDN has been striving to create projects that will enable the local population to attain self-reliance and develop their conditions of living. The work of the AKDN in Central Asia ranges from finance, tourism, agriculture, infrastructure, education, healthcare and habitat, to music initiatives and renovation of historical sites. The AKDN stresses the importance of multidimensional approach to development with the goal of making the local population masters of their own destiny. It embodies hope and support for the poor in the region which is known for entrenched poverty and lack of stability in some specific cases.

Seismic Vulnerability Assessment of Non-Structural Components - Methodology, Implementation Approach and Impact Assessment in South and Central Asia

ABSTRACT Most frequently, the South and Central Asia region witnesses small to moderate magnitude earthquakes. In the past, this situation has resulted in massive property damage and losses apart from unaccounted operational dysfunction and human injuries and losses. There is a dire need to understand the underlying factors for these losses and prepare for the continuity of facility operations with loss reduction. To understand these requirements, Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) carried out a Disaster Risk Management Initiative programme (now part of Aga Khan Agency for Habitat) across South and Central Asia between 2011 and 2016. One of the key outcomes of the initiative was to develop a non-structural hazard mitigation methodology, which should facilitate the assessment of all AKDN facilities for their safety and continuity of operations. The present manuscript intends to discuss the systematic approach in conducting Rapid Visual Screening Surveys following the AKDN methodology to generate a priority list of structures considered for mitigation planning. In doing so, the manuscript puts focus on the detailed non-structural vulnerability assessment, which results in incremental non-structural hazard mitigation including housekeeping, bracing and anchoring Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing (MEP) and Fixtures, Furniture and Equipment (FFEs), as well as architectural retrofitting. Various challenges are encountered during the mitigation plan implementation. So far, the developed methodology is tested on more than 5,500 individual structures. The criteria for effective mitigation implementation include safety, aesthetics, time, economy, and functionality. Another dimension of this manuscript is to discuss about implementation monitoring and how it has reduced the risk.

Food Systems and Agrobiodiversity in the Mountains of Central Asia

The Mountain Societies Research Institute (MSRI) operates at the interface of science and society in Central Asia. As part of the University of Central Asia and the wider Aga Khan Development Network, MSRI engages in transdisciplinary research for development and regularly seeks to strengthen regional capacities, to inform policy and practice, and to promote open dialogue among key stakeholders about development issues. MSRI thus aims to improve the well-being and resilience of mountain communities in the context of rapidly changing economic, sociocultural, political, and environmental conditions. MSRI's integrated approach to research, both with and for the benefit of mountain societies, demands simultaneous understanding of social and ecological factors operating at multiple spatial and temporal scales. Broadly embedded within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals, and more specifically the Sustainable Mountain Development agenda, the research and affiliated activities at MSRI also aim to elucidate and highlight the development challenges and opportunities of a long-neglected part of the world, greater Central Asia, extending from the Caucasus to western China.

РОЛЬ ОРГАНИЗАЦИИ РАЗВИТИЯ АГА-ХАНА В ПОСТКОНФЛИКТНОМ ВОССТАНОВЛЕНИИ ТАДЖИКИСТАНА

РОЛЬ ОРГАНИЗАЦИИ РАЗВИТИЯ АГА-ХАНА В ПОСТКОНФЛИКТНОМ ВОССТАНОВЛЕНИИ ТАДЖИКИСТАНА

Building typology classification and earthquake vulnerability scale of Central and South Asian building stock

The typology classification of any building is essential to understand its structural and architectural configuration, to empirically evaluate its vulnerability, or to provide the basis for creating a structural model and to analytically study its dynamic performance. A typology classification may help structural engineers, architects and urban planners to understand a building's behavior and response to any type of natural or man-made hazard as well as further assists in defining improvement techniques and long-term sustainable regional planning. The division of a building stock into distinct classes of building typologies and hence the definition of a thorough building classification scheme is a major prerequisite for any vulnerability or loss assessment study.A building's typology largely depends upon the local geology and geography, climatic conditions, socio-economic status of the occupants or owners, and to a large extent the locally available construction skills as well as natural resources (with respect to construction materials). The type of natural hazards a region has experienced in the past may also influence its prevalent construction typologies, at least if these hazards frequently occur in a certain period of time. The introduction of new construction technologies, design codes and/or building byelaws have further implications on the question of which building typologies are prevalent in a certain region, given that these legal provisions are implemented in daily construction practice. Focusing on Central and South Asian conditions, large variations exist in above stated factors. The region the Disaster Risk Management Initiative programme (DRMI), led by the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), is focused on here comprises of the Central Asian countries Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan as well as the South Asian countries Afghanistan, India and Pakistan. As strong variations in the characteristics of a certain building typology may exist between different regions or even countries, the definition of building typology classes at a regional scale is a daunting task. The present article attempts to categorize the Central and South Asian building stock into a manageable number of regional building typologies based on extensive field studies in the different regions. It further includes a thorough review of the relevant building classification schemes, discusses empirical data collection, and defines the criteria for building classification. By reviewing the buildings’ dynamic performances, a final building classification for the region and a customized visual screening-based vulnerability scale is presented.

Framing Modernization Interventions: Reassessing the Role of Migration and Translocality in Sustainable Mountain Development in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan

The Gojal region in northern Pakistan has a comparatively high level of development, virtually unparalleled in Pakistan’s other mountain areas and rural periphery and representing a significant advance over the extreme poverty, recurrent famine, pervasive illiteracy, and feudal oppression that existed until the 1940s. This article analyzes the factors and conditions that made this possible. Various external modernization interventions by state and nonstate agencies, particularly by the Aga Khan Development Network, have been crucial in this respect. The significance of the framing of such interventions for their acceptance and successful implementation is analyzed for the Ismaili community of Gojal. Findings from this case study underline the central importance of local actors’ agency and their proactive and creative response to the changing conditions and new opportunities created during modernizing interventions. Local households’ mobility and migration strategies, in the context of sectoral and spatial...

Shia Ismaili Leadership

The self-declaration of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as khalīfah in 2014 has onceagain brought to the fore the topic of Muslim leadership. There are numerousforms of leadership in Muslim societies today. Apart from presidents, primeministers, kings, emirs, and shaykhs, religious heads like the Shaykh al-Azharas well as certain Sufi shaykhs and pirs have varying levels of prominence.The Supreme Leader of Iran is the head of state and the county’s highestrankingpolitical and religious authority. Aga Khan IV, the current Shia NizariIsmaili Imam, leads a transnational community and has established the AgaKhan Development Network. Fethullah Gulen is founder of the transnationalHizmet (service) movement that has roots in Turkey.The issue of Muslim leadership initially came into focus following theProphet’s death in 632, when Abu Bakr al-Siddiq was nominated as the firstkhalīfah. Ali ibn Abi Talib, married to the Prophet’s daughter Fatima, assertedhis claim but eventually agreed to accept Abu Bakr’s selection. Ali became thefourth khalīfah after Abu Bakr, Umar al-Khattab, and Uthman ibn Affan. Hisclosest followers, who came to be known as the Shī‘at ‘Alī and later just Shia,upheld the belief that the Prophet’s family possessed the right of leadership.This group has adhered to Ali and Fatima’s descendants as Imams.The Shia Imama is a religious institution that embodies authority in thedomains of faith (dīn) and world (dunyā). It is generally characterized by ahereditary succession of leaders from father to son, except among the Zaydis(living mostly in northern Yemen), who select their Imams from any male descendantof Ali and Fatima. The largest Shia group, the Ithna Asharis (Twelvers),are concentrated mainly in Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Pakistan, Azerbaijan,and the Gulf region. Their name refers to the belief that their Twelfth Imamwent into occultation in 873 and is expected to re-emerge as the messianicMahdi. In his absence, the community is guided by ulama led by the ayatullahs ...

Linking past and future: cross-border development and quality of life in the Badakhshans

The 1895 Pamir Convention divided the mountainous region of Badakhshan into separate entities under Russian and British/Afghan influence, leading to a remarkable divergence in the development fortunes of a people once united by kinship. For those in today's Gorno-Badakhshan in Tajikistan, incorporation into the Soviet Union brought investments in education, health, physical infrastructure, and the economy. People living in Afghanistan's Badakhshan Province retained more political freedom but lived remotely within a feudal state where development investment was limited. In recent decades, both regions have experienced conflict that has affected their development. In this article, we use findings from quality of life assessments carried out by the Aga Khan Development Network to illustrate the stark differences between the Badakhshans. We discuss ongoing efforts to implement cross-border development programmes to improve quality of life in both Badakhshans, while noting that their success depends on a stable security environment in the region.

One size does not fit all: choosing methods to inform area development

There have always been debates about the methods that should be used to inform and assess development programmes. Experimental methods have become highly advocated as agencies seek rigorous ways to show programme value. However, the benefits and appropriateness of these methods are frequently overstated. We use the Aga Khan Development Network's Quality of Life studies to show that periodic mixed methods approaches are useful to analyse programme contributions and inform area development. We argue that experimental methods should not be idealised, and that research questions and organisational learning should guide pragmatic methodological choices to inform development intervention in real-life contexts.Une taille unique ne convient pas toujours : comment choisir des méthodes pour éclairer le développement des régionsIl y a toujours eu des débats sur les méthodes qui devraient être employées pour éclairer et évaluer les programmes de développement. Les méthodes expérimentales sont devenues très préconisées dans le cadre de la quête par les organisations de manières rigoureuses de démontrer la valeur de leurs programmes. Cependant, les avantages et le caractère approprié de ces méthodes sont souvent exagérés. Nous utilisons les études sur la qualité de la vie de l'Aga Khan Development Network pour montrer que les approches périodiques basées sur des méthodes mixtes sont utiles pour analyser les contributions des programmes et éclairer le développement des régions. Nous soutenons que les méthodes expérimentales ne devraient pas être idéalisées, et que les questions des recherches et l'apprentissage organisationnel devraient orienter des choix méthodologiques pragmatiques afin d'éclairer les interventions en matière de développement dans les contextes réels.La unitalla no le queda a todos: seleccionando métodos que informen el desarrollo de áreasSiempre han existido debates en torno a los métodos que deben usarse para fundamentar los programas de desarrollo y valorarlos. A medida que las agencias han buscado métodos rigurosos para demostrar el valor de sus programas, ciertos métodos experimentales han sido altamente promovidos. Sin embargo, los beneficios y lo apropiado de tales métodos a menudo se ha exagerado. En el presente artículo, los autores utilizan los estudios sobre la Calidad de Vida realizados por la Red de Desarrollo Aga Khan, con el fin de mostrar que los enfoques de métodos mixtos aplicados periódicamente resultan útiles para analizar los aportes de los programas y para potenciar el área de desarrollo. Asimismo, sostienen que no deben idealizarse los métodos experimentales y que las inquietudes de investigación y el aprendizaje organizacional deberán guiar las opciones metodológicas pragmáticas orientadas a fundamentar las acciones de desarrollo en la vida cotidiana.Um único tamanho não serve para todos: Escolhendo métodos para informar a área de desenvolvimentoTem havido frequentemente debates sobre os métodos que deveriam ser utilizados para informar e avaliar programas de desenvolvimento. Métodos experimentais têm sido altamente defendidos quando as agências buscam formas rigorosas de mostrar o valor do programa. Porém, os benefícios e adequação destes métodos são frequentemente superestimados. Utilizamos os estudos sobre Qualidade de Vida da Aga Khan Development Network para mostrar que abordagens de métodos mistos periódicos são úteis para analisar as contribuições dos programas e informar o desenvolvimento de área. Argumentamos que métodos experimentais não devem ser idealizados e que questões de pesquisa e aprendizado organizacional devem orientar escolhas metodológicas pragmáticas para fornecer informações à intervenção de desenvolvimento em contextos da vida real.

Improving Quality of Life in Remote Mountain Communities

This article explores how physical remoteness influences the quality of life of people living in mountain communities in Afghanistan's Badakhshan Province. Basing its analysis on data obtained from a quality of life assessment carried out in Badakhshan, the article compares how quality of life indicators differed between villages that are more remote in terms of their access to markets, services, and transport, and those that are closer to small urban economic hubs. Indicators in a range of domains including the household economy, built environment, health, and education were poorer in remote villages. However, less tangible aspects of life such as trust between people, social cohesion, cultural life, and people's own perceptions of the quality of their lives were similar or better in these locations. Nevertheless, we argue that remoteness acts as an important barrier to improving many aspects of health and wellbeing in remote mountain villages. Market-led approaches by themselves are inadequate for helping to promote quality of life improvements in these communities. This research suggests that the holistic framework, mixed funding, and innovative approaches that the Aga Khan Development Network is pursuing as the main implementing partner of the National Solidarity Program in the province—including infrastructure development, strengthening local governance, and cross-border development programs with Tajikistan—stand a better chance of improving quality of life.

Health needs and eHealth readiness assessment of health care organizations in Kabul and Bamyan, Afghanistan

This study assessed the need and readiness of health care institutions in Kabul and Bamyan, Afghanistan for successful implementation of information and communication technology in health care (eHealth). A mixed methods design was adopted at 2 institutions in the Aga Khan Development Network in Afghanistan: the French Medical Institute for Children in Kabul and Bamyan Provincial Hospital, Bamyan. Information for the needs assessment was obtained from interviews and focus groups and eHealth readiness was assessed using a validated survey tool. The needs of institutions in the Aga Khan Development Network in Afghanistan were categorized as follows: provision of care needs; learning needs; and information management needs. eHealth readiness on average was lower in Bamyan compared with Kabul in all areas of the readiness assessment. Other institutions in Afghanistan may benefit from adopting the model of needs and readiness assessment used for Aga Khan Development Network institutions.

Provision of basic services in the Hunza Valley: Transition from social mobilization to social entrepreneurship

Provision of basic services in the remote Hunza Valley of northern Pakistan continues to be a major challenge for the public sector. Poor governance, lack of technical and institutional capacities and an absence of financing mechanisms mean that such operations cannot be sustained by the public sector. This experience-based paper shows that, while the demand for services increased with improved socio-economic well-being in the valley, the supply-side gap has not been met by the public sector. Rather, people's needs in Gilgit-Baltistan have been addressed by a range of solutions including innovative merging of civil society and private sector approaches.This article narrates and evaluates three such cases from the Hunza Valley, namely: the Hunza Environmental Committee, the Hunza Power Utility Company and the Hyderabad Rural Support Organization's early childhood development services. These service providers have received support from multiple actors – local civil society organizations, agencies of the Aga Khan Development Network including the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme, and in some cases government offices – but the services are ultimately sustained through private sector fee-for-service models. The path from ‘social mobilization’ to ‘social entrepreneurship’ has not been without challenges some of which persist till today, and this paper looks at the successes as well as the challenges.

Risk-conscious Reconstruction in Pakistan-administered Kashmir

The Chakhama Valley, a remote area in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, was badly damaged by the 7.6-magnitude earthquake that struck India and Pakistan on 8 October 2005. More than 5% of the population lost their lives, and about 90% of the existing housing was irreparably damaged or completely destroyed. In early 2006, the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) initiated a multisector, community-driven reconstruction program in the Chakhama Valley on the premise that the scale of the disaster required a response that would address all aspects of people's lives. One important aspect covered the promotion of disaster risk management for sustainable recovery in a safe environment. Accordingly, prevailing hazards (rockfalls, landslides, and debris flow, in addition to earthquake hazards) and existing risks were thoroughly assessed, and the information was incorporated into the main planning processes. Hazard maps, detailed site investigations, and proposals for precautionary measures assisted engineers in supporting the reconstruction of private homes in safe locations to render investments disaster resilient. The information was also used for community-based land use decisions and disaster mitigation and preparedness. The work revealed three main problems: (1) thorough assessment of hazards and incorporation of this assessment into planning processes is time consuming and often little understood by the population directly affected, but it pays off in the long run; (2) relocating people out of dangerous places is a highly sensitive issue that requires the support of clear and forceful government policies; and (3) the involvement of local communities is essential for the success of mitigation and preparedness.

Distance learning – meeting Africa's need for quality nursing care

Distance learning – meeting Africa's need for quality nursing care

Prevalence and awareness of risk factors and behaviours of coronary heart disease in an urban population of Karachi, the largest city of Pakistan: a community survey.

To estimate the prevalence and awareness of risk factors and risk behaviours of coronary heart disease (CHD) in the lower middle class residing in urban localities of Karachi, a mega city of Pakistan. The design consisted of a cross-sectional community based survey in the lower middle class urban localities of Karimabad, Garden and Kharardar in Karachi, Pakistan. One thousand four hundred adults (18 years and above) registered with the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) participated in the survey. Life style, self-reported risk variables, blood pressure and anthropometric measurements were recorded. Prevalence of hypertension, high cholesterol and diabetes were 38.5, 10.7 and 9.1 per cent, respectively. 52.2 per cent of the sample was overweight or obese; 64.8 per cent never exercised; 11.9 per cent had two or more major risk factors of CHD. The communities studied showed a very high prevalence of hypertension, obesity and a sedentary life style. Despite a high literacy rate, awareness regarding CHD risk factors was low. This underlines the need for measures to increase awareness regarding CHD and its risk factors and a healthy lifestyle in the developing countries.