In the 1950s and 1960s the United States sponsored the Helmand Valley Authority, a desert reclamation project to help turn parts of the Helmand River Valley into fertile farmland. In Nawa, the Shamalan canal, a branch of the Boghra canal, was built by the Helmand Valley Authority.
In the 1950s and 1960s, the US played a role in the Helmand Valley Authority's effort to transform the Helmand River Valley into fertile farmland. In Nawa, the Shamalan canal, a smaller waterway connected to the Boghra canal, was constructed as part of this initiative.