Afghanistan’s climate chaos

(MENAFN– Asia Times) A ​​recent Taliban the decree forbids women to pray aloud in each other’s presence, forbidding them to hear each other’s voices. Since returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban have implemented numerous such decrees, raising serious concerns about the fundamental rights of the Afghan population. Unfortunately, international organizations and countries have largely failed to take meaningful steps to support those living under Taliban rule.

But at least much of the rest of the world is aware of these human rights issues. This is not the case with the climate crisis facing Afghanistan. There has been little foreign media coverage of the fact that, despite contributing just 0.3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, this landlocked country of about 42 million people faces increasing ecological disasters, which make it one of the world’s most vulnerable lands to climate change. .

Erratic rainfall, prolonged droughts, unseasonal freezes and flash floods are now commonplace. Afghanistan is currently ranked sixth in terms of global climate vulnerability and fourth in terms of disaster risk, with the International Rescue Committee identifying it as the third country most affected by climate change in 2023.

Since 1950, temperatures in Afghanistan have risen by 1.8°C, more than twice the global average, leading to changes in average rainfall patterns and an increase in floods, landslides and water level fluctuations underground water. The lack of infrastructure to manage annual floods is estimated to result in economic losses of approximately $400 million, impacting approximately 335,000 people.

At the same time, Afghanistan faces frequent droughts; As of August 2023, 25 out of 34 provinces were experiencing severe or catastrophic drought conditions, affecting more than 50% of the country’s population.