“The Afghan people stand on the precipice of devastating climate projections,” warns the United Nations at the start of the international COP27 climate change summit in Egypt. The warning comes weeks after torrential seasonal rains caused devastating flash floods in central and southern Afghanistan, killing more than 180 people and destroying at least 3,000 homes.
“Droughts in many parts of the country are becoming the norm, and episodic heavy precipitation result in flash floods and landslides,” explains the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). “Afghanistan’s fragile ecosystem, acute environmental degradation, poor socio-economic development and the impact of more than four decades of war have laid the foundation for extreme climate vulnerability.”
“I request the ruling administration of Afghanistan to take the threat of climate change and environmental destruction seriously, and to utilize people from different ethnic, religious and social backgrounds to combat such threats,” says Dr. Ramiz Alakbarov, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
According to the United Nations, Afghanistan is the sixth most affected nation in the world in terms of climate-related threats but one of the least prepared. “It is devastating to see the most vulnerable Afghans bear the brunt of environmental disasters,” he adds “We need to take action now in Afghanistan.” Alakbarov continues. “We cannot wait. Afghans do not have time to lose.” He also explains that “the problem is not isolated to Afghanistan, but is a regional issue, and failure to act in Afghanistan now would lead to a setback in climate action for the entire region.”
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Public Health in Afghanistan reports that respiratory and cancer diseases are increasing as a result of climate change. Mohammad Hassan Ghiathi, a deputy minister at the ministry, stated that “at least 2,287 people in Kabul die every year from respiratory diseases caused by air and water pollution.” He made those comments at a climate change conference in Kabul.
