Several environmental and agricultural experts have expressed concern over the increase in deforestation in Afghanistan due to poverty, lack of awareness, and the dependency of the population on natural resources. They say that the unchecked increase in tree cutting in recent years has posed a serious threat to the country’s forest cover and will bring unfortunate consequences for the environment and people’s lives. They add that the continuation of this trend intensifies the risk of soil erosion, the spread of desertification, the reduction of water resources, and increased vulnerability to climate change, and that repairing this damage will require years. According to them, widespread poverty, unemployment, the lack of alternative fuel, and weak management and protection of natural resources are among the most important factors behind the increase in deforestation in the country.
These experts, speaking to the Hasht-e Subh Daily, emphasize that protecting forests is not possible through short-term measures alone, but requires long-term planning, the development of alternative energy resources, increased public awareness, and support for vulnerable families. In their view, if practical measures are not taken to reduce rural communities’ dependency on wood as fuel and to create alternative solutions, the process of forest destruction will continue, and its consequences will affect future generations as well. They believe that forest restoration, the implementation of large-scale tree-planting programs, the prevention of illegal tree cutting, and investment in the alternative energy sector are among the most important solutions for protecting Afghanistan’s natural resources.
Experts warn that the continued destruction of forests not only threatens biodiversity and natural habitats but also, by intensifying drought, reducing water resources, increasing floods, and damaging agricultural production, threatens the food security and livelihoods of millions of citizens.
Sayed Mohammad Sulaimankhail, one of the environmental experts, says that several decades of war and insecurity in Afghanistan have provided the ground for increased deforestation and timber smuggling. According to him, smugglers and profiteers have taken advantage of weak oversight, intensifying the deforestation process by selling wood and exploiting forests to secure fuel. He claims that as a result of this trend, Afghanistan’s forest cover has decreased from about three to four percent to nearly one percent.
Sulaimankhail warns that continued deforestation not only threatens the country’s natural resources but also reduces Afghanistan’s ability to cope with the consequences of climate change.
This expert says: “The greatest amount of deforestation in Afghanistan takes place in regions where, unfortunately, people’s economy is weak and where government and other national and international institutions have less access. Poverty and insecurity have provided the ground for timber smuggling. Currently, this trend continues in some areas such as Kunar and Nangarhar. Despite the creation of a 200-member unit by the Taliban aimed at protecting forests, tree cutting continues.” He emphasizes that in order to protect forests, the economic condition of local communities must improve so that people do not turn to cutting trees because of poverty and livelihood needs.
Mohammad Salem Saei, one of the agricultural experts, says that the process of deforestation in Afghanistan has continued extensively over nearly half a century, and its consequences have caused serious damage to the country’s agricultural sector and environment. He adds that unchecked deforestation in past years has intensified the effects of climate change on the agricultural sector and has led to a decline in agricultural production levels. According to him, soil degradation, reduced fertility of farmland, declining soil quality, the spread of plant diseases, reduced livestock-raising capacity, and increased agricultural and livestock pests are among the direct consequences of forest destruction.
Mr. Saei explains on this matter: “In Afghanistan, given the level of destruction of forests and pastures around green areas, no practical and effective measures have been taken to protect and restore these resources. Likewise, public awareness has declined compared to the past, and general belief in the importance of forest protection and its benefits for life and the environment is lower.”
Saei also says that the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, the National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA), the Ministry of Energy and Water, and the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development have so far failed to formulate and implement a coordinated and workable strategy for the protection of water, soil, and forests. According to him, forest protection requires coordination among responsible institutions, the allocation of sufficient budget, the implementation of forest restoration programs, the development of alternative energy resources, and increased public awareness; otherwise, the process of natural resource destruction will continue, and Afghanistan will become more vulnerable to climate change.
Qutbuddin Yaqoubi, another agricultural expert, warns that the provinces of Badghis, Farah, Herat, Nimroz, Kandahar, and Helmand in the west and south of the country, as well as the provinces of Jowzjan, Balkh, parts of Faryab, Kunduz, and some areas of northern Afghanistan, are more exposed than other regions to desertification and vegetation cover destruction and require urgent protective programs. He says that certain tree species play a fundamental role in preserving water resources, preventing soil erosion, and increasing land fertility, and that protecting these species is essential for the sustainability of Afghanistan’s environment.
Yaqoubi adds: “Trees such as pine, pine nut, cypress, juniper, oak, mulberry, willow, and poplar in various regions of the country, particularly in the east, center, and northeast of Afghanistan, play an important role in preserving soil moisture, reducing erosion, recharging groundwater, preventing floods, and maintaining ecosystem stability. Protecting these tree species can prevent soil degradation and the spread of desertification and help maintain environmental balance.”
Meanwhile, several residents of Badghis, Herat, and Kunar provinces confirm that some citizens are cutting down forests due to poverty and livelihood needs. They say that the lack of job opportunities, the spread of poverty, and the dependency of several families on wood as a fuel source have led some people to turn to cutting trees and selling wood to cover their living expenses.
Yahya (a pseudonym), a resident of Badghis province, considers the presence of nomadic herders and livestock grazing in pistachio forests one of the serious challenges facing the protection of these natural resources. He says that tree cutting for fuel and damage caused by livestock grazing have intensified the destruction of pistachio forests. He adds: “As long as the entry of nomadic herders into pistachio forests is not prevented, there is no hope for improved yields, because livestock grazing damages pistachio trees. If this situation continues, a large part of the pistachio forests may disappear within the next few years.”
Turyalai (pseudonym), a resident of Kunar province, says that although people are somewhat aware of the harms of deforestation, the level of public awareness about its long-term consequences is still not sufficient. He adds that in Kunar province, trees such as nashtar, oak, wild olive, palosa, and gorgora are mostly cut down for fuel and wood sale. He warns that if this trend is not effectively managed and controlled, irreparable damage will be done to the forests and environment of this province.
Experts’ concerns come as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) had previously warned that widespread deforestation in Afghanistan has caused serious environmental and economic damage. According to this organization’s information, between 1990 and 2000, Afghanistan’s forest cover decreased by 2.3 percent annually, and in recent years, about 0.2 percent of the country’s forests are lost each year.
The Taliban had also announced the creation of a special unit to protect forests and pursue those involved in tree cutting; however, experts say that without addressing poverty, increasing public awareness, and providing alternative energy resources, preventing forest destruction will be difficult.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
افزایش جنگلزدایی در افغانستان؛ کارشناسان از پیامدهای زیستمحیطی آن هشدار میدهند
