About us



The objective of the Essential Field Guides (EFG) is to provide practical information for all involved with Afghanistan, whether aid workers, government officials, journalists, military, policymakers, academics, private sector and general interest readers. With contributions by a highly experienced team of writers, journalists and experts, the EFG seeks to provide broader insight for those focusing on a particular interest or field, but overlooking other areas that could furnish a better understanding of what is happening in the country . Contents include  overview essays, infobriefs and quick reference statistics on the country, culture, security situation, agriculture, health, environment and other aspects of the international recovery effort coupled with travel tips, contacts and basic survival information.

The Essential Field Guide website offers a number of features useful to anyone interested in the latest news from Afghanistan and the region or anyone curious about some of the lesser known intricacies of this extraordinary country. The site's editors (Edward Girardet and William Dowell) are both renowned journalists who have covered humanitarian and conflict situations worldwide. The first three editions (1998, 2004 and 2006) of the Essential Field Guide to Afghanistan were  produced by co-founders Edward Girardet and Jonathan Walter, a British writer and former editor of the World Disaster Report.  Visit our introductory page to the EFG.

The fourth fully-revised version (2011/12) of the Essential Field Guide to  Afghanistan is being edited by Girardet and Dowell. The interactive site serves as a resource to access information from the previous three print editions (see excerpts here) and as an introduction to the upcoming fourth edition, which is being produced both in print and electronically.

The Essential Field Guide to Afghanistan will also be produced in Dari in order to benefit Afghans wishing to be better informed about what is happening in their country once the international version is complete. The editors are also in the process of developing other Essential Field Guides focusing on themes such as Climate Change, Human Rights, and Lifeline Media in Humanitarian and Conflict Zones. Learn about our projects here.