The Impacts of COVID-19 on the Natural Resources Economy of Afghanistan and the Peace Process (Fourth in an Occasional Series of Discussions on Environment, Conflict, and Peace in Afghanistan)

Jun 23, 2020 | Environmental Peacebuilding Association
online
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According to the World Bank, the Afghan economy grew by 2.9% in 2019 fueled in large part by natural resources. This raised many hopes of an economic recovery after forty years of almost continuous armed conflict. 2020 was set to be an even more prosperous year. Innovative programs such as air corridors paved the way for new markets for Afghan products. Then, in the Spring of 2020, COVID-19 spread to Afghanistan causing massive disruption to the lives of the Afghan people and the economy of Afghanistan.

In this webinar, we will explore the impacts the pandemic has had on the natural resources economy of Afghanistan, how the pandemic has affected resource-related livelihoods, how specific import and export markets for natural resources have been impacted, and when the negative trend might abate. We will also explore how the various impacts of the pandemic on the natural resources economy is affecting the current peace process.

Speakers:                    Mr. Asef Ghafoory, University Lecturer, Kardan University

                                      Mr. Wali Modaqiq, Former Deputy Director, NEPA (Afghanistan)

                                      Mr. Raffi Vartanian, Partner, Ziba Foods       

Co-Moderators:          Mr. Oli Brown, Associate Fellow, Chatham House

                                      Ms. Elizabeth Hessami, The Johns Hopkins University

When: June 23rd, 2020, 10:00-11:30 am EST

Where: Online