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Khorog, Tajikistan: AKAH is implementing a five-year initiative to develop plans, capacity, and structures …

AKAH Tajikistan

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AKAH works with communities to develop detailed hazard, vulnerability and risk assessments that map hazards …

AKAH Afghanistan

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Bazgir, a village in the Ishkashim District of Badakhshan, Afghanistan is one of an interconnected set of villages that are the focus of AKAH’s habitat planning initiative for Ishkashim. AKAH Afghanistan
Bazgir, a village in the Ishkashim District of Badakhshan, Afghanistan is one of an interconnected set of villages that are the focus of AKAH’s habitat planning initiative for Ishkashim.

AKAH Afghanistan

Our Approach

Building on the legacy of community-driven rural development of the Aga Khan Rural Support Programmes, demand-driven participatory planning is a central tenant of AKAH’s habitat planning process. To further build local ownership and long-term sustainability, we work in close collaboration with national and government planning bodies.


Capacity building and research are at the core of our practices, through collaborations with leading academic institutions, private sector and international organisations to draw from and expand on global best practices. We have conducted design studios with MIT, Harvard and Kabul University and is collaborating with UN Habitat to advance planning, policy and design for sustainable urbanisation.


Ishkoshim, Tajikistan. AKAH uses drone photography and GIS data and analysis to unite data-driven decision-making with the vision and voice of the community. AKAH Afghanistan
Ishkoshim, Tajikistan. AKAH uses drone photography and GIS data and analysis to unite data-driven decision-making with the vision and voice of the community.

AKAH Afghanistan

Habitat Planning Framework

AKAH’s Habitat Planning Framework covers an eight-step process guiding communities and experts through a participatory, data-driven planning, design and implementation process. The framework integrates rural and urban planning best practices; national, regional and local plans and policies; community level plans and knowledge; and hazard, land-use, socio-economic and demographic data.


The process starts with scoping and site selection and community and government engagement. This is followed by in-depth habitat assessment of physical, land-use, and socio-economic needs and priorities. We then develop physical designs to address these priorities and work with communities and partners to plan, implement and monitor these actions.


The process can be applied to various spatial scales – from the neighbourhood level, to the village, through to a village cluster or sub-district scale – to develop short, medium and long-term plans.