Afghanistan’s Secret Gold Rush Risks Poisoning Its Waters

Jan 23, 2026 | Shahla Muram and Nadja Kunz
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Afghanistan is one of the countries most affected by climate change, and the largely hidden gold rush in Badakhshan is not only endangering the lives and livelihoods of its more than 1 million residents but also threatening downstream communities in Afghanistan and the neighboring Central Asian nations of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, whose sustenance depends on the same waters.