Province 24 of 34 | East

Nuristan نورستان

Nuristan is very remote, with steep valleys and minimal roads. Small periodic markets for walnut, honey and dairy are the realistic model.

Capital: Parun
Region: East
Area: 9,579 km²
Population 2025–26: 178,534
Density: 19 per km²
Districts: 8

Map of candidate marketplace sites and their road catchments in Nuristan — Orange pin: candidate site. Olive shading: 60-minute catchment (dotted line: 30 minutes). Square: provincial center. Circle: existing market. Brown shading: population density.

US$ 1.6 m

base-case annual turnover (range US$ 820 k to US$ 2.5 m)

9,164

addressable producer households (14,284 within 60 min)

90,154

underserved rural people brought within 60 min

direct jobs, base case (+122 indirect)

Potential marketplace network Estimated

1Nurgaram District center

District: Nurgaram

Producer marketplace and aggregation center

To nearest existing market: 39 km, 105 min

Producer HH ≤60 min: 13,124

35.0238, 70.4441
2Kamdesh Market town

District: Kamdesh

Producer marketplace and aggregation center

To nearest existing market: 44 km, 169 min

Producer HH ≤60 min: 1,160

35.4094, 71.3399

#	Site	District	Likely role	Lat, Lon	To nearest existing market	Producer HH ≤60 min
1	Nurgaram District center	Nurgaram	Producer marketplace and aggregation center	35.0238, 70.4441	39 km 105 min	13,124
2	Kamdesh Market town	Kamdesh	Producer marketplace and aggregation center	35.4094, 71.3399	44 km 169 min	1,160

Local products and producer groups Strong secondary

Walnut
Honey
Goats & cattle
Dairy
Maize & wheat

Farming system: Livestock & cereal (US$ 600 sales per participating household)

Producer groups: smallholder farmers, livestock and dairy keepers, women's household enterprises, small processors and traders

Crafts: Woodcarving

Market catchment and accessibility Estimated

Site	HH ≤30 min	HH 30–60 min	HH 60–90 min	Producer HH ≤60 min	Addressable	Underserved
1 Nurgaram	3,381	10,947	25,541	13,124	8,051	73%
2 Kamdesh	1,125	122	5,603	1,160	1,114	100%

HH = households of 7.7 people (ALCS 2016–17). The primary indicator is producer households within 60 minutes by road.

Infrastructure requirements

Road accessEstimated
Current situation: No site on a main road; all reached by rural roads or tracks
All-weather access road, hard-standing and turning area for trucks
ElectricityStrong secondary
Current situation: Grid reaches about 40% of Afghans nationally; rural sites mostly off-grid
Solar plus battery for lighting, weighing, phone charging and cold rooms; grid tie where a line passes
Solar potentialStrong secondary
Current situation: About 300 sunny days a year; high irradiance nationwide
Rooftop PV on market sheds (indicative 20 to 60 kWp per site)
Internet & mobileAssumption
Current situation: Mobile connections equal 52% of the population; district centers usually covered
Mobile money and price-information kiosk; verify signal on site
Dry storageEstimated
Current situation: Few formal stores outside provincial centers
Warehouse for walnut, honey with pallets and pest control
Cold storageEstimated
Current situation: Rare outside major cities
Not a first-phase priority; drying yards and ventilated stores instead
Water, sanitation & loadingAssumption
Current situation: Not assessed at site level
Borehole, washing area, separate latrines for women and men; loading bays, livestock pens, certified scales

Infrastructure	Current situation	Requirement	Evidence status
Road access	No site on a main road; all reached by rural roads or tracks	All-weather access road, hard-standing and turning area for trucks	Estimated
Electricity	Grid reaches about 40% of Afghans nationally; rural sites mostly off-grid	Solar plus battery for lighting, weighing, phone charging and cold rooms; grid tie where a line passes	Strong secondary
Solar potential	About 300 sunny days a year; high irradiance nationwide	Rooftop PV on market sheds (indicative 20 to 60 kWp per site)	Strong secondary
Internet & mobile	Mobile connections equal 52% of the population; district centers usually covered	Mobile money and price-information kiosk; verify signal on site	Assumption
Dry storage	Few formal stores outside provincial centers	Warehouse for walnut, honey with pallets and pest control	Estimated
Cold storage	Rare outside major cities	Not a first-phase priority; drying yards and ventilated stores instead	Estimated
Water, sanitation & loading	Not assessed at site level	Borehole, washing area, separate latrines for women and men; loading bays, livestock pens, certified scales	Assumption

Economic opportunity and employment Estimated Assumption

Scenario	Participation	Producer sales	Other trading	Total turnover	Direct jobs	Indirect jobs
Low	10%	US$ 550 k	US$ 270 k	US$ 820 k	58	93
Base	20%	US$ 1.1 m	US$ 539 k	US$ 1.6 m	76	122
High	30%	US$ 1.6 m	US$ 809 k	US$ 2.5 m	95	152

Site columns are summed. The total is de-duplicated where catchments overlap.

Evidence

Population: strong secondary province totals, estimated catchments. Travel time: estimated from the OpenStreetMap road model. Products: strong secondary. Turnover and jobs: assumption parameters applied to estimated households. Site conditions: unknown until field validation.

Open these pages in the PDF (55–56) | Method, assumptions and sources