Afghanistan Times
Related Articles
KABUL – The United Nations is making a decisive move to unlock vital climate financing for Afghanistan, one of the world’s most vulnerable nations to climate change, as the country grapples with worsening environmental crises and political isolation. This effort, if successful, would mark the first instance of international climate funds flowing into Afghanistald n since the Taliban took power in 2021, United Nations officials revealed to Reuters.
Afghanistan, battered by devastating droughts and deadly floods, has been cut off from critical climate funding due to political and procedural barriers. With climate challenges deepening and millions facing food insecurity, U.N. agencies are working to secure nearly $19 million from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to bolster the country’s resilience. The proposals include a $10 million project by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to improve rangeland and watershed management in four provinces and an $8.9 million initiative by the U.N. Development Programme (UNDP) aimed at strengthening rural communities affected by erratic weather.
However, navigating Afghanistan’s political complexities poses significant challenges. Since the Taliban is not recognized by U.N. member states, the projects must bypass de facto authorities, with U.N. agencies both requesting and implementing the funding. UNDP Resident Representative Stephen Rodriques highlighted the stakes, emphasizing that Afghanistan’s exclusion from global climate funding underscores systemic flaws: “If one of the countries most impacted by climate change cannot have access, it means something isn’t working.”
The humanitarian stakes are immense. Flash floods have claimed hundreds of lives this year, while the agricultural sector—critical to Afghanistan’s economy—struggles to recover from one of the worst droughts in decades. Despite these efforts, questions remain about how to balance urgent climate action with advocacy for human rights, especially as the Taliban’s policies on women and education remain under global scrutiny.
Taliban representatives, attending the COP29 climate negotiations in Azerbaijan as observers for the first time, have yet to comment. However, experts see their presence as a potential turning point in fostering trust with international donors. Abdulhadi Achakzai, founder of an Afghan environmental nonprofit, expressed hope: “There are funds for Afghanistan; we just need to secure them.”
As U.N. agencies prepare to submit full proposals by early 2025, the world watches closely. Success in unlocking these funds could set a precedent for delivering aid to countries at the intersection of climate vulnerability and political turmoil.
