Afghanistan’s environmental situation is “dire and alarming,” according to Matiulhaq Khalis, head of the Taliban-led National Environmental Protection Agency, who has called for urgent international cooperation to address the crisis.
Speaking at a conference on Saturday titled Assessment of the Environmental Situation in the Northern Zone, Khalis highlighted the escalating impact of climate change and environmental degradation across the country. The event, held in Mazar-e-Sharif, was attended by Taliban officials from Balkh province, as well as representatives of national and international organisations and environmental activists.
According to a statement from the agency, participants described Afghanistan as one of the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world, citing the intensifying effects of droughts, desertification, and dwindling water resources.
Noorul Hadi Abu Idris, the Taliban’s deputy governor for Balkh, noted that approximately 75 percent of the land in the north, west, and south is being affected by desertification. He warned that recurring droughts and the rapid depletion of natural resources have significantly reduced agricultural productivity and damaged ecosystems.
Khalis cited conflict, soil erosion, deforestation, rising temperatures, and over-extraction of groundwater as the main drivers of environmental decline. He stressed that the situation poses serious threats to food security and livelihoods, and urged the global community to prioritise Afghanistan in climate-related aid and environmental policy.
Afghanistan ranks among the ten countries most severely affected by climate change, grappling with extreme weather events such as droughts, floods, rainfall, and water scarcity.
Earlier this year, the International Organization for Migration reported that nearly five million people across Afghanistan were impacted by widespread flooding and avalanches in early 2025. The International Committee of the Red Cross also warned that groundwater levels in many parts of the country particularly in Kabul are dropping at an alarming rate.
