Biodiversity Profile of Afghanistan - Disasters and Conflicts - UNEP

13 Afghanistan’s Species
at Risk
13.1 IUCN Red List of Threatened
Species
Appendix.11.is.a.list.of.all.Afghan.species.included.
on.the.2006.IUCN.Red.List.of.Threatened.Species.
(IUCN. 2006). as. Extinct,. Critically Endangered,.
Endangered,. or. Vulnerable.. Not. included. are.
species.listed.as.Data Deficient,.Near Threatened.
or.Least Concern..In.total,.39.species.and.eight.
subspecies.are.listed.as.being.globally.threatened..
Sixteen.of.the.listed.species.are.mammals.and.19.
are. birds.. All. listed. subspecies. are. mammals..
One.Afghan.taxon.(i.e..species.or.subspecies).is.
considered. globally. Extinct. (the. Caspian. tiger),.
seven. are. Critically. Endangered,. eight. are.
Endangered,.and.31.are.Vulnerable.
The.2001.Categories.and.Criteria.(ver.3.1).provide.
the.following.definitions.of.threat.categories:
•. EXTINCT.(EX):.A.taxon.is.extinct.when.there.is.
no.reasonable.doubt.that.the.last.individual.
has.died..A.taxon.is.presumed.extinct.when.
exhaustive.surveys.in.known.and/or.expected.
habitat,.at.appropriate.times.(diurnal,.seasonal,.
annual),.and.throughout.its.historic.range.have.
failed.to.record.an.individual..Surveys.should.
be. over. a. time. frame. appropriate. to. the.
taxon's.life.cycle.and.life.form..
•. CRITICALLY. ENDANGERED. (CR). -. A. taxon.
is. critically. endangered. when. the. best.
available.evidence.indicates.that.it.meets.
any. of. the. criteria. A. to. E. for. critically.
endangered,.and.it.is.therefore.considered.
to. be. facing. an. extremely. high. risk. of.
extinction.in.the.wild.
•. ENDANGERED.(EN).-.A.taxon.is.endangered.
when.the.best.available.evidence.indicates.
that.it.meets.any.of.the.criteria.A.to.E.for.endangered,.and.it.is.therefore.considered.to.be.
facing.a.very.high.risk.of.extinction.in.the.wild.
•. VULNERABLE.(VU).-.A.taxon.is.vulnerable.when.
the.best.available.evidence.indicates.that.it.
meets.any.of.the.criteria.A.to.E.for.vulnerable,.
and.it.is.therefore.considered.to.be.facing.a.
high.risk.of.extinction.in.the.wild.
An. assessment. of. the. conservation. status. of.
Afghan.species.at.the.national.scale.has.not.yet.
been.undertaken..Numerous.species.considered.
to.be.globally.secure.are.certainly.at.risk.within.
Afghanistan..
13.2 Convention on the International
Trade in Endangered Species of
Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES)
The. Convention. on. the. International. Trade. in.
Endangered. Species. of. Wild. Flora. and. Fauna.
(CITES). is. an. international. agreement. between.
governments. with. an. intention. to. ensure. that.
international.trade.in.specimens.of.wild.animals.
and.plants.does.not.threaten.their.survival..CITES.
lists.wild.species.on.a.series.of.Appendices..
CITES.Appendix.I.includes.species.threatened.with.
extinction..International.trade.in.specimens.of.CITES.
Appendix.I.species.is.permitted.only.under.exceptional.
circumstances..An.import.permit.issued.by.the.State.
of.import.is.required..This.may.be.issued.only.if.the.
specimen.is.not.to.be.used.for.primarily.commercial.
purposes.and.if.the.import.will.be.for.purposes.that.are.
not.detrimental.to.the.survival.of.the.species..
CITES.Appendix.II.includes.species.not.necessarily.
threatened.with.extinction..However,.international.
trade.must.be.controlled.in.order.to.avoid.utilization.
incompatible.with.the.survival.of.Appendix.II.species..
An.export.permit.is.required.from.the.exporting.State.
and.may.be.issued.only.if.the.specimen.was.legally.
obtained.and.if.the.export.will.not.be.detrimental.
to.the.survival.of.the.species.
Currently,.there.are.23.confirmed.or.unconfirmed.
Afghan. species. on. CITES. Appendix. I. and. 88.
species.on.Appendix.2..Appendix.12.is.a.list.of.
Afghan.species.on.CITES.Appendices.I.and.II..
34 An Output of the National Capacity Needs Self-Assessment