Afghanistan is one of the most fragile nations when it comes to dealing with climate change. According to global rankings, it’s the seventh most vulnerable country, yet it is one of the least prepared to face environmental challenges. Despite being a low contributor to global carbon emissions, Afghanistan is suffering immensely from the effects of a warming planet.
Adding to its woes, years of war and conflict have left the country’s environment in a dire state. Afghanistan has endured not just natural hardships like drought and floods but also the aftermath of decades of military invasions and sanctions. These have amplified its environmental struggles, making life harder for millions of its people.
The Role of Wars in Environmental Destruction
The US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 and its subsequent military operations have had a severe impact on the country’s environment. For two decades, American and NATO forces carried out countless bombings. Many of these munitions left behind toxic chemicals that polluted the land and water, making agricultural activities more difficult. The environmental damage from these military actions is seen as a key factor in accelerating climate change in Afghanistan.
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One of the most damaging attacks occurred in 2017 when the US dropped the “mother of all bombs” in Nangarhar province. This massive weapon not only caused immediate destruction but also left long-term consequences. Residents in the area reported increased health problems like skin diseases, premature births, and neurological disorders. The bomb also destroyed homes, crops, and local businesses, pushing the economy further into despair.
Afghanistan’s environmental damage isn’t limited to recent years. Before the US invasion, the country faced devastation during the Soviet Union’s war in the 1980s. The Soviets used weapons like napalm to destroy forests and crops. As a result, the country lost around 80 percent of its forests during the decades of war, creating barren lands and worsening the effects of climate change.
Afghanistan’s Ongoing Environmental Struggles
Even as Afghanistan faces these enormous challenges, it struggles to find support from the global community. After the Taliban took over in 2021, many international organizations cut ties with the country. Afghanistan is no longer part of important climate discussions under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. This exclusion has left the nation without access to funding and global programs that could help address its climate problems.
The impacts of climate change are already being felt. In recent years, Afghanistan faced one of its worst droughts, which lasted three years. Just when the country was recovering, severe floods hit in 2024, killing hundreds of people and destroying farmland in the northern provinces. These floods left millions without food and income, worsening the humanitarian crisis.
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Call for Global Support
Years of sanctions have also made it harder for Afghanistan to tackle its environmental problems. Sanctions prevent international organizations from working freely in the country and providing much-needed assistance. Afghan officials and experts have repeatedly called on the global community to lift these restrictions, saying it’s the moral responsibility of wealthier nations to help. After all, Afghanistan’s contribution to global climate change is negligible, but it has borne the brunt of environmental destruction caused by wars and foreign interventions.
Without urgent help, Afghanistan’s damaged ecosystem will take years, if not decades, to recover. The loss of forests, polluted water supplies, and degraded farmland are just a few examples of how the wars and sanctions have left lasting scars on the country’s environment. These challenges affect millions of people every day, making it harder for them to find food, water, and a safe place to live.
Afghanistan’s leaders and experts continue to emphasize that global action is needed to address the damage caused by years of conflict and neglect. It remains a country in desperate need of attention and support to rebuild its environment and protect its future generations.
