Afghanistan: Made Worse by Tree Loss, Flooding Forces Migration in Afghanistan

Sep 8, 2020 | Stefanie Glinski, Thomson Reuters Foundation
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Large-scale deforestation driven mainly by four decades of war has contributed to widespread flooding throughout Afghanistan, prompting many in rural areas to move to the capital Kabul or leave the country. Trees have long been casualties of extreme poverty and war in Afghanistan, with many people in remote areas having little choice but to cut down forests to build houses, fuel stoves and keep warm in winter, climate experts say. The grave consequences of the country’s tree loss have led to calls for reforestation, but the task will not be easy, said Jalaludin Naseri, director of natural heritage protection at Afghanistan’s National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA).