Afghanistan is one of the world’s most vulnerable countries to climate change. Over the past three years, the Taliban have not taken even the smallest step to combat climate change. Devastating floods, landslides, dust storms, and persistent droughts have led to internal displacement, causing many citizens to leave their areas due to a lack of water and agricultural produce. Recently, Save the Children reported that climate change events forced at least 38,000 people, half of whom are children, to leave their homes in the first half of this year. According to the United Nations, one in seven people in Afghanistan faces long-term displacement, the highest rate in South Asia and the second highest globally. The report also states that women and girls are more vulnerable to climate change than men.
Afghanistan is grappling with climate change alone as it faces isolation after the Taliban’s takeover. The country is deprived of foreign financial aid for essential actions like adapting to climate change, while the Taliban consider climate change to be “God’s work or a foreign conspiracy.”
Reports indicate that the heavy burden of the water crisis falls on women and children, putting them at serious risk of violence and exploitation. In most dry areas, women and children are forced to travel long distances to fetch water, where they face violence and mistreatment. This action leads to physical and psychological harm, disrupts children’s sense of security, and hinders their ability to lead a healthy life.
Recently, Save the Children reported that severe climate change has forced more people to leave their homes in the first half of 2024 than in all of 2023. The organization added that extreme events due to climate change have displaced at least 38,000 people in Afghanistan in the first half of this year, about half of whom are children.
According to the report, data analysis shows that displacements in the first half of this year due to drought, extreme temperatures, floods, landslides, and storms were higher than the previous year, with half of the affected being children. The organization stated that by the end of this year, Afghanistan will continue to have the highest number of homeless children due to natural disasters and climate change in the world.
Save the Children, citing the United Nations, wrote that in 2022, one in seven children in Afghanistan faced long-term displacement. The organization noted that this is the highest rate in South Asia, and Afghanistan ranks second globally in this regard.
Arshad Malik, the head of Save the Children in Afghanistan, said, “Climate crises fuel the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, forcing people to leave their homes, destroying water sources, and preventing children from attending school.” He added that compared to individuals over 60, newborns in Afghanistan are 5.3 times more likely to face drought in their lifetime, impacting children’s lives.
The Save the Children report states that Afghanistan is the sixth most vulnerable country to climate change, but it has the least capacity to adapt and cope with the crisis’s impacts. The report, citing the United Nations, said that more than one in three people in Afghanistan faces crisis levels of hunger, primarily due to climate shocks and high food prices.
Save the Children, citing the United Nations, wrote that 25 out of 34 provinces in Afghanistan are facing severe or catastrophic drought conditions, affecting more than half of the country’s population.
Repeated studies show that girls and women are disproportionately affected by natural disasters and climate change compared to men. According to a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) report published in 2019, at least 60% of deaths due to severe climate events globally in the past 20 years have been women or girls.
Save the Children added that since the Taliban’s takeover, Afghanistan has seen a significant decrease in aid over the past three years, and thus, humanitarian organizations alone cannot be expected to fill this gap. The organization called for more global community assistance to address climate change needs and long-term planning against natural disasters.
An organization named “ACAPS,” which researches global climate change, reported that “the key risks facing Afghans between 2024 and 2030” are compounded by climate change. According to the organization, the level of groundwater has increased due to insufficient rainfall, and water demand has significantly reduced access to water for millions of people for agriculture.
The report states that reduced rainfall and unsustainable water extraction for agriculture and household use, combined with annual water storage, have led to a decrease in groundwater levels across Afghanistan, with estimates showing a decline in water levels in most parts of the country. The organization added that improper urban planning, along with water shortages and heat waves, has decreased the physical and mental health and safety of urban populations, making cities increasingly vulnerable to water shortages. According to the organization, heat waves and dust storms, combined with air and water pollution, threaten the health and well-being of urban populations in Afghanistan and increase regional isolation due to water tensions with neighboring countries.
The organization’s report states that flood destruction, mass migrations from villages to urban areas, and excessive groundwater use by solar energy have further reduced water levels in the country. According to the organization, the intensity of floods and landslides has undermined Afghanistan’s institutional response capacities, with devastating impacts on the northern, northeastern, and southern regions.
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