United Nations Environment Programme (Afghanistan)

Since 2002, UN Environment has taken an active role in laying the environmental foundations for sustainable development in Afghanistan.

Decades of conflict and violence, coupled with drought and earthquakes, have had devastating impacts not only on the people of Afghanistan, but also on its natural environment, once pristine and rich in biological diversity.

UN Environment’s engagement began with a major post-conflict environmental assessment, conducted in conjunction with the Government of Afghanistan and Afghan environmental experts. Published in 2003, the assessment highlighted serious and widespread land and resource degradation, including lowered water tables, desiccation of wetlands, widespread loss of vegetative cover, erosion and loss of wildlife.

This led to a request from the Afghan Government for technical assistance to set up a national environmental agency. UN Environment’s support has since expanded to focus on rebuilding structures of governance and on addressing urgent urban environmental and natural resource management issues.