In Afghanistan, continued drought and protracted war added to the environmental problems. In just one generation, the Afghan people have seen many of their basic resources, such as water for irrigation, trees for food and fuel, lost. There are other urgent environmental problems. In the cities, burning of wastes, toxic air polluting, contamination of the water supplies from uncontrolled dumping of waste products (which creates the high risk of viral and bacterial diseases) are the most glaring problems.

There is no modern garbage disposal center to digest the garbage produced by some 5 million people in Kabul or recycle factories in Kabul and other big cities. There is no chemical factory or plant in Afghan cities that produce carbon dioxide or other gases. However, burning tires in brick kilns, public baths, battered roads, congested streets, smoke emission from vehicles and poor forestation campaign have been contributing to the polluting environment.

In the major of cities of Afghanistan, the environment has been badly harmed. Apart from the major environmental issues today for Afghanistan like soil degradation, air and water pollution, alarming rate of deforestation, overgrazing and desertification, environmental problems in urban areas are becoming increasingly complicated due to lack of attention.

Kabul the capital city of Afghanistan, in itself, has turned into an open garbage area. The only difference between a deserted area where waste from cities is transferred and Kabul is that in the later people live and in the former life of human is considered to be at great stake of deadly diseases. Kabul has fallen in the list of most polluted cities of the world. The city is facing numerous problems in regards to pollution: a virtually non-existent sewage and sanitation system, burgeoning slums, crumbling infrastructure and rapid population growth.

Keeping in view the vitality of better environment for human lives, we need to take the environmental issues as serious as political, social and other issues. This is the only way that is deemed to assist in safeguarding the natural system against destruction. For this, every nation is responsible and issues of environment are common for all. The Afghan government has to act fast and execute a series of projects such as the rehabilitation of forests and promotion of greenery, ban the import and use of substandard fuel, improve waste management and at the same time build and strengthen our own institutional capacity.

It is about time the government and the people took steps in order to clean and protect the environment to enable themselves and their coming generations breath in a cleaner air and remain safe from various kinds of killing diseases. Not only the concerned government organizations have to perform their obligations sincerely but also the people have to be cautious regarding their surroundings and clean their environment on self-support basis.