A silent disaster making itself gradually felt all across Afghanistan is an environmental one. Afghanistan faces an acute environmental crisis due to decades of war and neglect. The extent of destruction of environment in Afghanistan is astonishing with the situation set to get worse as wars and conflicts continue and an imminent population explosion that is predicted to take place over the next three decades.
The environmental future for Afghanistan looks grim as Afghanistan's unfolding environmental catastrophe remains neglected by both the government and the international community. Afghanistan, in its long history, had definitely seen better days as far as environment is concerned. Forests, wetlands, pastures, grazing lands and all which constitute a natural and thriving environment have been subjected to extensive destruction, living the already poor masses with fewer means of livelihood.
In the midst of all that has befallen Afghanistan since 2001 and whether for the government of Afghanistan or the international community, conservation and restoration of Afghanistan's environment has not been a priority to address. The attention and resources of the government and its international partners have been totally grabbed by other issues that they have deemed more urgent. However, the fact remains that Afghanistan will indeed face an existential threat in coming decades if the current trend of environmental destruction continues and the already destroyed is not restored.
The ongoing environmental catastrophe in Afghanistan include the following: massive and ongoing deforestation, shrinking and disappearance of green lands such as wetlands, woodlands, grazing lands and pastures, continued desertification of many such green areas (as a result of which these green areas gradually become deserts) the accelerating pace of soil erosion (loss of cultivable farming soil), air pollution especially in urban areas such as Kabul, disappearing wildlife and their natural habitats as a result of extensive hunting and poaching of wild animals and birds.
As a result of environmental degradation and destruction in the country, tens of thousands of people have already been displaced over the past one decade when the habitats they lived in could no longer support their livelihoods. A report prepared and published by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock have some chilling observations on the unfolding environmental catastrophe in the country:
"More than 80 percent of [Afghanistan's] land could be subject to soil erosion… soil fertility is declining, salinity is on the increase, water tables have dramatically fallen, de-vegetation is extensive and soil erosion by water and wind is widespread." This quote from the report is enough to give us a picture of the appalling environmental conditions in Afghanistan and the kind of future that the current trend will bring to the people of this country.
Deforestation continues to be a major factor in the trend of environmental degradation that is sweeping across the country. According to officials in Afghanistan's Environmental Protection Agency, the country has lost over 70% of its forest areas over the past four decades. Jungles and forests are natural barriers against such natural events such as avalanches, landslides and flooding. The rise in such events in recent years across the country is, among other things, a result of deforestation and the loss of woodland cover in many vulnerable areas of the country.
The continued loss of green lands such as pastures and grazing lands is particularly harmful to the livelihoods of people in villages and rural areas. More than 70% of the population in the country lives in villages and rural areas which depends on herding and raising of livestock to eke out their meager livings. When pastures and grazing lands slowly disappear owing to over-exploitation, drought, soil erosion and other factors, the livelihoods of a sizable section of these people come under strain and are in fact destroyed.
This unfortunate trend has continued over many years now and by all indications, it will continue if the government and the international community do not mobilize resources to deal with the issue. Natural environment is extremely fragile including the eco-system and various forces in the environment that balance one another. Any disturbing force, such as, over-grazing of herds and livestock by people can easily disturb this balance and lead to degradation of environment in the long run.
As said, raising livestock and herds such as goats, sheep, cows and other animals, collectively called animal husbandry; along with farming are major activities of people in rural areas. If the current trend of destruction of these fragile eco-systems continues, the country will not be able to support a large section of its people within the next 2 to 3 decades.
Coming to urban areas such as Kabul and other large cities, these cities too face a grave and deteriorating pattern of environmental degradation. Cities in Afghanistan, such as Kabul, have witnessed a phenomenal growth in population in recent years. Flow of people and refugees from villages and neighboring countries into cities in search of jobs and better security has continued non-stop.
Kabul's population, a city originally designed to house 1 million people, has surpassed 6 million including its suburbs and the flow of migrants continues unabated. The result has been a severe pressure on the city's resources. Underground aquifers' water levels within Kabul have already gone down considerably rendering many of the hand-operated wells dry.
lready, many communities and localities are finding their wells hitting dry, forcing them to seek water elsewhere. Kabul's solid waste management system is in effect non-existent in many areas and suburbs with the central parts of the city receiving waste collection services as and when the people assigned for the job find time or equipment to do so. Waste and rubbish litter roads, streets, lanes and by-lanes playing havoc with people's health.
An economically well-off and healthy nation and people can be possible only if the natural environment allows them to thrive and prosper. The environmental degradation that started decades ago, by now after three decades of war, has turned into a major crisis. If the government, authorities and people themselves continue to neglect the issues and problems, then an Afghanistan 30 years from now with a population of 60 million (double its current population of 30 million) will be poorer and more desperate than now.
With the current situation in the country and the continuation of war and conflict, the government and the international community do not concern themselves with this environmental catastrophe that is unfolding; but neglect and ignorance for how long? The solution lies in large-scale mobilization of government, international community assisting in Afghanistan, people and local communities across the country to actively conserve the environment and prevent the catastrophe.