Environmental issues in Afghanistan explained

Environmental issues in Afghanistan are monitored by the National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA).[1] They predate the political turmoil of the past few decades. Forests have been depleted by centuries of grazing and farming, practices which have only increased with modern population growth.

In Afghanistan, environmental conservation and economic concerns are not at odds; with over 44% of the population dependent on herding or farming,[2] welfare of the environment is critical to the economic welfare of the people. In 2007, the World Health Organization released a report ranking Afghanistan as the lowest among non-African nations in deaths from environmental hazards.[3]

Deforestation

Felling has been made illegal all over Afghanistan.[4] [5] [6] According to NEPA, only about 1.5% of the country is forested.[7] Others have put the figure at 2.1% (or 1,350,000 ha).[8] Some steps have been taken in recent years to plant trees in the urban areas of the country.[9] [10] [11] [12] [13] Afghanistan had a Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 8.85/10, ranking it 15th globally out of 172 countries.[14]

Afghans have historically depended on forests for firewood and the revenue generated by export of pistachios and almonds, which grow in natural woodlands in the central and northern regions. The Badghis and Takhar provinces have lost more than 50% of pistachio woodland. In the past many have used wood for fuel, and those such as the Northern Alliance have cleared trees which could have provided hiding places for ambushes from the Taliban. Further, the use of the woodlands for grazing ground and the collection of nuts for export apparently prevent new pistachio trees from growing.[15] Afghanistan has lost nearly half of its forests.[16] [17] [18] Denser forests in the eastern Nangarhar, Kunar, Nuristan and other provinces are at risk from timber harvesting by timber mafia. Although the logging is illegal, profits from exporting the timber to neighboring Pakistan are very high.[19] [20] The reason for this is that Pakistani government has its forests tightly protected so the timber mafia are busy cutting down trees in Afghanistan instead. The timber makes its way not only to Peshawar but also to Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and Lahore, where most of it is used to make expensive furniture. The Afghan government has formed special park rangers to monitor and stop these activities.[5] [21]

As forest cover decrease, the land becomes less and less productive, threatening the livelihood of the rural population and the floods are washing the agricultural lands and destroying the houses. Loss of vegetation also creates a higher risk of floods, which not only endanger the people, but cause soil erosion and decrease the amount of land available for agriculture. To reverse this destruction, MAIL is attempting to turn Afghanistan green again by planting millions of trees every spring, particularly on 10 March, which is recognized as national tree plantation day in the country.[22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] [28]

Wildlife

See main article: Wildlife of Afghanistan. Hunting is illegal in Afghanistan because much of the country's wildlife is at risk of being extinct.[29] Exotic birds and wild animals continue to be smuggled out of the country.[30] In 2014 around 5,000 birds were smuggled out of Afghanistan, which included falcons, hawks and geese.[31] In 2006, Afghanistan and the Wildlife Conservation Society began a three-year project to protect wildlife and habitats in Band-e Amir National Park and Wakhan National Park.[32]

Endangered species

Critically endangered species

Little is known about the status of the salamander Batrachuperus mustersi, which is found only in the Hindu Kush.

Water management

Most of Afghanistan's fresh water flow by fast-flowing rivers into neighboring countries.[37] This benefits those countries but not Afghanistan.[38] [39] [40] [41] [42] The primary threat to Afghanistan's water supply is the drought in parts of the country, which often creates food shortages.[43] [44] The resulting agricultural crises between 1995 and 2001 have driven many thousands of families from rural to urban areas.[45]

In response to drought, deep wells for irrigation have been drilled which decreased the under ground water level, further draining groundwater resources, which rely on rain for replenishment.[24] To fix these problems, more dams and reservoirs are being built all across the country.[46] [47] [48]

According to UNICEF, only around 67% of the population of Afghanistan has access to clean drinking water.[49] This number is expected to steadily increase in the future,[50] especially after the Qosh Tepa Canal and the Shahtoot Dam are completed.[51]

Between 1998 and 2003, about 99% of the Sistan wetlands were dry, another result of continued drought and lack of water management.[52] The wetlands, an important habitat for breeding and migrant waterfowl including the dalmatian pelican and the marbled teal, have provided water for agricultural irrigation for at least 5,000 years. They are fed by the Helmand and Farah rivers, which ran at 98% below average in drought years between 2001 and 2003. As in other areas of the country, the loss of natural vegetation resulted in soil erosion; here, sandstorms submerged as many as 100 villages by 2003.[15] Some of the major water reservoirs and dams include the following:

Pollution

Since 2002, over 5 million Afghan citizens that were residing in Pakistan and Iran have returned to Afghanistan. Many of them settled in Herat, Jalalabad, Kabul, Kandahar, Khost, Mazar-i-Sharif and other Afghan cities.

Air pollution

Air pollution in Afghanistan's major cities is becoming a serious problem to public health.[7] [53] Residents of Kabul suffer the most from air pollution.[54] [55] Over 2,000 Kabul residents die from air pollution each year.[56] Large number of vehicles in the city is the main reason for this.[57]

Nationally, an estimated 5,000 people die from air pollution.[58] [59] [60] Some sources have given a much higher number of deaths in the past.[61] Vehicles are also blamed for the air pollution in the other cities.[62]

Domestic and industrial waste

Afghanistan has long lacked a proper sewage system.[63] [64] In 2002, the United Nations Environment Programme found that a lack of waste management systems was creating dangerous conditions in several urban areas.[15] In Kabul's districts 5 and 6, household and medical waste was discarded on streets. Human waste was contained in open sewers, which flowed into the Kabul River and contaminated the city's drinking water.

Urban dumpsites have been used in lieu of managed landfills in Kabul, Kandahar and Herat, often without protection of nearby rivers and groundwater supplies. Medical waste from hospitals is sometimes disposed in the dumpsites with the rest of the cities' waste, contaminating water and air with bacteria and viruses.

Lack of sewage management is not unique to Kabul. In urban areas, open sewers are common while wastewater treatment is not. Much of the urban water supply is contaminated by Escherichia coli and other bacteria.

Oil refineries are another source of water contamination. In Herat and Mazar-i-Sharif, crude oil spills and leaks are uncontained and unsafe levels of hydrocarbons reach residential water supplies.

Nuclear waste by Pakistan

In 2008, the Afghan government stated that it was investigating allegation that Pakistan had dumped nuclear waste in southern Afghanistan during the Taliban rule in the late 1990s.[65]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: NEPA Says Air Pollution in Kabul Increased Significantly Over Past Week . TOLOnews . 10 June 2023 . 2023-08-11.
  2. Web site: Afghanistan: Labor force - by occupation . World Factbook . CIA . 2017 . 2021-02-26 . 2021-03-01 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210301045752/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/labor-force-by-occupation . dead .
  3. Web site: New country-by-country data show in detail the impact of environmental factors on health. https://web.archive.org/web/20070616014535/http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2007/pr30/en/index.html. dead. June 16, 2007. World Health Organization. 2007-06-13. 2007-06-15.
  4. News: Afghanistan 6th Vulnerable Country to Climate Change: NEPA . TOLOnews . 6 August 2023 . 2023-08-11.
  5. News: Unknown individuals axing down trees in Nangarhar, allege residents . Pajhwok Afghan News . 22 May 2023 . 2023-05-22.
  6. News: Unit established in Kunduz to prevent illegal tree felling . Pajhwok Afghan News . 29 November 2022 . 2023-02-10.
  7. News: Dust Storms Due to Drought Affect Afghanistan, Region: NEPA . TOLOnews . 16 July 2023 . 2023-08-11.
  8. Web site: Afghanistan Forest Information and Data. . 2010 . 2023-02-10.
  9. News: Kabul Municipality Hires 1,100 Employees to Care for Trees . TOLOnews . 3 March 2023 . 2023-08-11.
  10. News: Over 20 million saplings planted countrywide last year . Pajhwok Afghan News . 13 August 2022 . 2023-08-11.
  11. Web site: Changing the Afghan landscape, one tree at a time . United Nations Environment Programme . May 4, 2018 . 2023-02-10.
  12. News: Taliban leader urges Afghans to plant more trees . BBC News . February 26, 2017 . 2023-02-10.
  13. News: Taliban Leaders Wants Afghans to Plant More Trees . Voice of America . February 26, 2017 . 2023-02-10.
  14. Anthropogenic modification of forests means only 40% of remaining forests have high ecosystem integrity - Supplementary Material . Nature Communications . 11 . 1 . 2020 . 5978 . 2041-1723 . 10.1038/s41467-020-19493-3 . 33293507 . 7723057 . free.
  15. Web site: Post-Conflict Environmental Assessment: Afghanistan. United Nations Environment Programme. 2003. 2007-06-15. 2016-03-04. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304114142/http://postconflict.unep.ch/publications/afghanistanpcajanuary2003.pdf. dead.
  16. News: 'We're in crisis': The high price of deforestation in Afghanistan . Al Jazeera . July 4, 2019 . 2021-02-25.
  17. Web site: Deforestation in Afghanistan Multiplies Climate and Security Threats . September 14, 2020 . 2021-02-25 . 2021-01-21 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210121123622/https://www.ourdailyplanet.com/story/deforestation-in-afghanistan-multiplies-climate-and-security-threats/ . dead .
  18. News: Made worse by tree loss, flooding forces migration in Afghanistan . Reuters . September 8, 2020 . 2021-02-25.
  19. News: Afghanistan's Forests A Casualty Of Timber Smuggling . NPR . March 18, 2013 . 2021-02-25.
  20. News: Afghanistan's Forests Are Turning a Profit for the Islamic State . Foreign Policy . July 15, 2020 . 2021-02-25.
  21. News: Govt to Create "Green Unit Force" to Protect Forests . TOLOnews . December 5, 2021 . 2022-08-09.
  22. News: Government to Plant 'Millions' of Trees Across Afghanistan . TOLOnews . March 10, 2021 . 2021-03-10.
  23. News: National tree plantation campaign begins: MAIL . Pajhwok Afghan News . March 10, 2021 . 2021-03-10.
  24. Web site: Afghanistan Hires Lockdown Jobless to Boost Kabul's Water and Trees . KCET . June 15, 2020 . 2021-03-11.
  25. Web site: Changing the Afghan landscape, one tree at a time . United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) . May 4, 2018 . 2021-03-10.
  26. News: Afghan Tree Planter Cultivates His Dream . Bashir Ahmad Ghezali; Farangis Najibullah . Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) . May 27, 2014 . 2021-03-10.
  27. Web site: Tree-planting in Afghanistan to be discussed in San Anselmo event . marinij.com . October 3, 2012 . 2012-12-03 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121006062132/https://www.marinij.com/sananselmo/ci_21673142/tree-planting-afghanistan-be-discussed-san-anselmo-event . October 6, 2012 . dead .
  28. Web site: Citizens Plant 1.2 Million Trees in Eastern Afghanistan . United States Agency for International Development . April 15, 2009 . 2012-12-03 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130307045142/https://afghanistan.usaid.gov/en/USAID/Article/611/Citizens_Plant_12_Million_Trees_in_Eastern_Afghanistan . March 7, 2013.
  29. News: Afghanistan losing its wildlife to war, poaching and climate change . Ariana News . May 22, 2021 . 2023-08-11.
  30. News: Hunting of Rare Animals, Birds Worries Farah Residents . TOLOnews . 31 January 2023 . 2023-02-10.
  31. News: Arabs hunt rare birds in Farah . Ariana News . January 8, 2015 . 2023-02-10.
  32. Web site: Afghanistan To Protect Wildlife And Wild Lands. Science Daily. 2006-06-28. 2007-06-16.
  33. News: Pakistani Authorities Seize 74 Smuggled Falcons . TOLOnews . October 18, 2020 . 2023-02-10.
  34. News: Falcon smuggling attempt thwarted in Karachi . Pajhwok Afghan News . October 18, 2020 . 2023-02-10.
  35. News: More than 300 houbara bustards released from Afghan breeding facility . Ariana News . February 10, 2023 . 2023-02-10.
  36. News: Snow leopard kills dozens of sheep in northern Afghanistan . Ariana News . December 31, 2021 . 2023-02-10.
  37. News: Afghanistan and Pakistan's Looming Water Conflict . The Diplomat . December 15, 2018 . 2021-03-10 . Afghanistan has abundant water resources. It produces 80 billion cubic meters of water a year, pumping 60 billion cubic meters of it to the neighbors — particularly Pakistan..
  38. News: Afghanistan commits to Iran's water rights but faces its own shortages: Mansoor . Ariana News . July 23, 2022 . 2023-02-10.
  39. News: Afghanistan's Rivers Could Be India's Next Weapon Against Pakistan . Foreign Policy . November 13, 2018 . 2021-03-10.
  40. Web site: Afghanistan and Iran: From water treaty to water dispute . The Interpreter . October 14, 2020 . 2021-03-10.
  41. News: A Pak-Afghan water treaty? . The News International . July 9, 2018 . 2021-03-10.
  42. Cutting across the Durand: Water dispute between Pakistan and Afghanistan on river Kabul . World Water Policy. December 27, 2020 . 10.1002/wwp2.12033 . 2021-03-10. Ranjan . Amit . Chatterjee . Drorima . 6 . 2 . 246–258 . 234658030 .
  43. News: Over 3M Afghan Children Expected to Face Acute Malnutrition in 2023: WFP . Ariana News . January 27, 2023 . 2023-02-10.
  44. News: Afghanistan falls six places to 109th in Global Hunger Index . Ariana News . October 15, 2022 . 2023-02-10.
  45. News: Drought Map, Understanding Afghanistan: Land in Crisis. National Geographic. 2001-11-15. 2007-06-15 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080611174526/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/landincrisis/drought.html . 2008-06-11.
  46. News: 126 check dams to be constructed nationwide: Minister . Pajhwok Afghan News . 17 October 2023 . 2023-11-13.
  47. News: In Farah, Bakhshabad dam’s key tunnel completed . Pajhwok Afghan News . 10 October 2023 . 2023-11-13.
  48. News: Work on Construction of Farah’s Bakhshabad Dam Begins . TOLOnews . 20 May 2023 . 2023-05-22.
  49. Web site: WASH: Water, sanitation and hygiene . UNICEF . 2021-03-11.
  50. News: Construction resumes on water supply network in Balkh after two years . Ariana News . November 12, 2023 . 2023-11-13.
  51. News: India to complete dam for safe drinking water in Kabul . The Hindu . November 25, 2020 . 2021-03-11.
  52. News: Afghan wetlands 'almost dried out'. BBC News. 2003-02-07. Alex Kirby. 2007-06-15.
  53. News: Concerns Mount Over Increase of Air Pollution in Kabul . TOLOnews . 6 December 2022 . 2023-02-10.
  54. News: 80 percent diseases in Kabul attributed to air pollution . Pajhwok Afghan News . 25 November 2022 . 2023-08-11.
  55. News: NEPA Finds '4,500' Kinds of Air Pollutants in Kabul . TOLOnews . January 12, 2021 . 2023-02-10.
  56. News: More than 2,000 people die each year due to air pollution in Kabul . Ariana News . October 16, 2022 . 2023-02-10.
  57. News: Kabul air pollution reduces as vehicles decrease: Residents . Pajhwok Afghan News . November 19, 2022 . 2023-02-10.
  58. News: Air pollution killed almost 5,000 people in Afghanistan in 2020, health ministry says . Daily Sabah . German Press Agency . January 13, 2021 . 2021-03-11.
  59. News: Air Pollution Claimed Almost 5,000 Lives In Afghanistan Last Year . Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty . January 13, 2021 . 2021-03-11.
  60. Web site: Afghanistan - Environmental health . WHO . 2021-03-11.
  61. News: Afghanistan:Air pollution more dangerous than civil war . Sayed Khodaberdi . Sadat . Anadolu Agency . February 1, 2020 . 2021-03-11.
  62. News: Growing air pollution in Jalalabad City raises eyebrows . Pajhwok Afghan News . December 26, 2022 . 2023-02-10.
  63. News: Sewage from US Embassy, NATO headquarters dumped into Kabul River due to aging infrastructure . Stars and Stripes (newspaper) . September 12, 2020 . 2021-03-11.
  64. Web site: Afghanistan: Managing wastewater to help improve living conditions . International Committee of the Red Cross . February 14, 2018 . 2021-03-11 . 2016-03-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304114142/http://postconflict.unep.ch/publications/afghanistanpcajanuary2003.pdf . dead .
  65. News: Pakistan 'dumped nuclear waste' . Martin . Vennard . BBC News . 1 April 2008 . 2012-07-23.

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