The Role of Afghanistan’s Resources in Security

Jul 30, 2020 | Farzad Ramezani Bonesh
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During the last two decades, we have witnessed the Afghan government’s efforts to identify natural resources in the country with the help of foreign governments and companies. Therefore, strategic, diverse and important reserves of copper, oil, gas, lithium, uranium, etc have been found and identified in different parts of Afghanistan. The total value of Afghanistan’s underground reserves appears to be a trillion dollars or more.

Information and statistics regarding Afghanistan’s natural resources are more general. But recognizing Afghanistan as a country with important, diverse and vast mineral reserves is important. These statistics should be considered in the analysis, policy-making and evaluation of organizations, non-governmental actors, and foreign powers. In the end, the existence of mineral resources could be both a threat to the country’s security and an opportunity for improved security and economic development in Afghanistan.