Mazar-i-sherif
Afghanistan

Image Story:


This carpet vendor is in his shop mid-morning, a rambling musty premises with many rooms, dimly lit. And it sits next to another shop with pelts of the endangered snow leopard.


We remained with him for an hour as he explained via our interpreter how each variety of carpet is made and how to tell them apart.


The quality and unique characteristics of Afghan crafted carpets is renowned worldwide.


Midst the turmoil, strife as well as struggle for survival for many Afghans on a daily basis, the carpet makers continue with their craft.


The finished products are bought by traders and sold on, most of the items making their way eventually to the international market.


Survival is such a priority in day to day living in this part of the world that conservation initiative have trouble gaining traction with the local population unless of course, they are directly affected.


Here, snow leopard hides can be sold at a premium - it is argued, the people need to find a way to make a living any way they can.




People:


The people factor plays such an overbearing part when it comes to degradation of the natural environment.


When Governments are poorly run with endemic corruption and when most of the population of a country is desperate for clean water, food and security, then protection of the environment cannot hold sway as a priority.


Almost every facet of life is negatively impacted.


Even when international aid was pouring into the Country during the tenure of the US-supported Afghan Government, the situation for women in Afghanistan for example, particularly in this region, was dire. It improved slightly in other areas, notably Kabul.


It was not uncommon to find a woman clad in blue burka, sitting down in the middle of a dusty road busy with vehicle traffic, holding a small baby....in the hope that someone will give her some money for food. And these mothers are generally treated with derision by the rest of the population. Desperate.


And with the chaotic capitulation of the US commitment there in 2021, ushering in a second term for the Taliban, things are perilously uncertain once again, not just for women.


It is notable however, that whilst corruption had pervaded all aspects of society and Government before the Taliban take over, the Taliban on the other hand does not tolerate such vices.


Furthermore, to its credit this Government has declared it is making adjustments and allowing more freedoms for some of its people than previously expected - the world will be watching to note how this plays out.



Conservation:


Environmentally, during the Coalition's period of support in Afghanistan, there were some token efforts to address environmental degradation.


In reality, it probably made little or no difference.


People even then were generally not aware of the need for conservation and protection of the environment - the Country was not yet mature enough and the systems not effective enough to help educate people and change the thinking.


The people after all, both then and now, have immediate and overriding issues day to day in terms of just finding food and simply surviving.


Looking at environmental issues more broadly, Afghanistan’s natural resource base and environment has undergone extensive deterioration over the past four decades as a direct result of wars, political instability and intensive natural resource exploitation - in particular of the country’s meagre forests.


Compounding the whole scenario, recent widespread drought has affected many parts of the country.


The lack of environmental protection combined with a burgeoning human population dependent upon a declining natural resource base has driven many species of plants and animals to the brink of extinction (Environmental Assessment for ADB program 2007).


The situation remains bleak and Afghanistan is considered to be in a state of severe environmental crisis.


The major environmental issues are soil degradation, air and water pollution, deforestation at an alarming rate, overgrazing, desertification, and over population in its already fragile urban areas.


And not least, there are also very limited, unequally distributed, and poorly managed natural freshwater resources.