Neglecting the Issue of Climate Change in Afghanistan Will be Catastrophic

By: H.N

The Earth’s temperature is on the rise due to human activities, and climate change presently poses a threat to all facets of human existence. Without proper control, humanity and nature will face the catastrophic consequences of rising global temperatures, including exacerbated droughts, further sea-level rise, conversion of habitable areas into uninhabitable ones, transformation of agricultural lands into deserts, and ongoing exposure to devastating floods.

Nations lacking in resources face heightened vulnerability to the perils of climate change, as they lack the requisite means and infrastructure to effectively mitigate and manage its effects. Consequently, they inevitably encounter and grapple with the consequences and ramifications arising from climate change.

Afghanistan stands among the nations that have continuously endured the bitter ramifications of climate change over the years. Despite persistent challenges, the country remains entrenched in grappling with such adversities.

According to the findings of the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) over the past century, the Earth’s temperature has risen by an unnatural 1.2 degrees Celsius, and during this period, 3.3 to 3.6 billion people worldwide have been exposed to the vulnerability of climate change.

Moreover, based on this report, unprecedented increases in heatwaves, hurricanes, droughts, and floods have been observed in South and Central Asia. According to predictions, the likelihood of global temperature increase ranges from 1.5 to 5.8 degrees Celsius by 2100.

According to information from Afghanistan’s National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA), temperatures in the southern regions of the country have increased by 2.4 degrees Celsius over the past century, Hindu Kush regions by 1 degree Celsius, central and northern highlands by 1.6 to 1.7 degrees Celsius, and eastern regions of Afghanistan by 0.6 degrees Celsius.

The persistence of these challenges has created numerous problems in urban and rural areas of Afghanistan, including increased poverty, migration, recurring droughts, floods, rising temperatures, destruction of farms and forests, food shortages, livestock deaths, and the emergence of various diseases. These can be identified as the undesirable consequences and impacts of climate change in Afghanistan.

The continuation of this situation has severely affected not only the water, agriculture, livestock, forests, and grasslands sectors but also significantly impacted the social and economic lives of the people of Afghanistan, as well as health, energy, biodiversity, and ecosystems.

With the change in regime and the return of the Islamic Emirate, the international community besides, imposing various sanctions, has approached the issue of climate change in Afghanistan from a political perspective. Consequently, with the suspension of 32 environmental and climate change projects, restricting Afghanistan’s access to pledged financial resources, and the exclusion of Afghanistan from regional and international meetings and conferences on environmental and climate issues, there has been blatant injustice against the people of Afghanistan.

Despite the challenges and existing problems, officials at NEPA have made necessary efforts to manage the issue of climate change in Afghanistan utilizing available resources. Over the past three years, practical steps have been taken regarding drafting, revising, and amending laws, policies, regulations, and work plans, as well as project design.

Revision of environmental laws, national environmental policy, regulations on ozone-depleting substances, approval of the KIGALI Amendment to the Montreal Protocol 2020, and other related documents can be highlighted as prominent actions in the field of climate change mitigation.

Furthermore, in the field of planning and project implementation, the prioritization of climate-compatible water and watershed projects, the reinforcement of equitable carbon utilization and the restoration of degraded ecosystems, sustainable management plans for Nuristan National Park, sustainable forest and land management projects in five provinces of the country, and combating land degradation and biodiversity loss through enhancing sustainable food systems in Afghanistan are also among the major activities undertaken.

The Islamic Emirate, under its environmental protection policy for Afghanistan, has placed climate change management at the forefront of its work priorities and has initiated efforts to mitigate the situation with the resources at hand. With ensuring security nationwide, the Islamic Emirate has provided a conducive environment for implementing projects in various sectors across Afghanistan.

As climate change is an overarching issue, tackling the challenges and risks it poses requires joint efforts from all governments and collaboration among all stakeholders. Hence, the international community, nations, and pertinent organizations ought to prioritize environmental and climate change matters in Afghanistan. They should take practical and genuine steps by resuming suspended environmental and climate change projects, facilitating access to pledged financial resources, and creating opportunities for active Afghan participation in regional and international forums and conferences.

Moreover, throughout this period, the people of Afghanistan have been directly impacted by the consequences of climate change, enduring significant financial and human losses. Therefore, the global community and pertinent organizations must extricate the environmental issue and climate change in Afghanistan from political spheres, conceiving it instead as a human dilemma.