Environmental Security of Afghanistan Is Pathway to Regional Peacebuilding

Oct 6, 2021 | Saleem H. Ali
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The rapidly changing political landscape in Afghanistan does not change the permanent physical geography of the region. As world leaders gather to discuss climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies at the COP26 meeting in Glasgow later this month, the extreme vulnerabilities of the Afghan people should not be neglected. With their chief negotiator in exile, it is unclear whether an Afghan delegation will be able to attend the summit in the current context, but the donor community has a moral and ecological responsibility to ensure that environmental stresses are mitigated in the country.

The Afghan people are desperate for clean energy and food security, and the discussions in Glasgow can have important implications for the future of planned environmental projects in Afghanistan, including over $20 million of direct funds from the Green Climate Fund.