Biodiversity Profile of Afghanistan - Disasters and Conflicts - UNEP
Biodiversity Profile of Afghanistan - Disasters and Conflicts - UNEP
Biodiversity Profile of Afghanistan - Disasters and Conflicts - UNEP
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
government.l<strong>and</strong>,.in.many.cases.right.to.the.water’s.<br />
edge,.<strong>and</strong>.have.reduced.the.size.<strong>of</strong>.the.lake.from.its.<br />
former.size.<strong>of</strong>.191.ha.to.about.150.ha..Other.settlers.<br />
have.illegally.built.houses.on.the.hillside.above.the.<br />
lake.adding.to.the.population.expansion.in.the.area.<br />
<strong>and</strong>. pressure. on. the. water. resources.. Tube. wells.<br />
have.been.drilled.along.the.lake.shore.to.service.<br />
the.needs.<strong>of</strong>.the.exp<strong>and</strong>ing.population.adding.to.<br />
the.depletion.<strong>of</strong>.lake.waters..Car.washers.have.set.<br />
up.illegal.businesses.just.below.the.Bala.Hissar.<strong>and</strong>.<br />
are.polluting.the.lake.with.the.run-<strong>of</strong>f..Hospital.waste.<br />
<strong>and</strong>.garbage.has.been.dumped.into.the.lake.itself,.<br />
sometimes.by.government.owned.trucks.from.Kabul.<br />
municipality..Local.people.continue.to.cut.reeds.<br />
<strong>and</strong>.grasses.in.the.lake,.<strong>and</strong>.women.launder.clothes.<br />
<strong>and</strong>.household.goods.at.the.lake.shore..Hunting.<br />
<strong>and</strong>.harassment.<strong>of</strong>.birdlife.is.still.common.but.now.<br />
is.mainly.the.prerogative.<strong>of</strong>.children.<strong>and</strong>.teenagers..<br />
Recently,. the. historical. Qala-i-Hashmat. Khan. on.<br />
the.southwestern.shore.<strong>of</strong>.the.lake,.once.used.as.a.<br />
guest.house.by.former.royalty.<strong>and</strong>.earmarked.to.be.<br />
developed.into.reserve.education.<strong>and</strong>.awareness.<br />
centre.was.been.sold.<strong>and</strong>.removed..Latif’s.garden.<br />
below.the.Bala.Hissar.was.once.a.beautiful.site.but.<br />
is.severely.degraded.<br />
Kol-i-Hashmat. Khan. has. never. received. legal.<br />
status. as. a. protected. area,. although. it. has. long.<br />
been.protected.by.Afghan.rulers..The.lake.proper.<br />
for Global Environment Management (NCSA) for <strong>Afghanistan</strong><br />
is. currently. administered. <strong>and</strong>. managed. by. the.<br />
Department. <strong>of</strong>. Natural. Resource. Management.<br />
(DNRM),.Ministry.<strong>of</strong>.Agriculture,.Irrigation.<strong>and</strong>.Livestock.<br />
(MAIL)...The.agricultural.fields.south.<strong>of</strong>.the.lake.are.<br />
private.property,.<strong>and</strong>.the.northern.fields.are.owned.by.<br />
local.residents...Other.l<strong>and</strong>.claims.are.either.suspect,.<br />
not. registered. or. perhaps. even. forged. l<strong>and</strong>. title.<br />
documents.(Petocz.2006c)...A.new.government.multiagency.coalition.has.been.formed.spearheaded.by.<br />
the.National.Environmental.Protection.Agency.(NEPA).<br />
<strong>and</strong>.MAIL.to.deal.with.the.most.immediate.issues.<br />
that.threaten.the.integrity.<strong>and</strong>.survival.<strong>of</strong>.the.Kol-e.<br />
Hashmat.Khan.wetl<strong>and</strong>...A.workshop.was.hosted.by.<br />
the.NEPA.Director.General.<strong>and</strong>.facilitated.by.<strong>UNEP</strong>.<br />
on.6.June.2006.to.discuss.the.future.<strong>of</strong>.Kol-i-Hashmat.<br />
Khan.(Petocz.2006c)...An.interim.management.plan.<br />
(Petocz.2006c).has.been.prepared.<br />
15.7 Wakhan<br />
The.Wakhan.Corridor.is.a.long.(200.km).<strong>and</strong>.narrow.<br />
(20.-.60.km).panh<strong>and</strong>le.<strong>of</strong>.alpine.valleys.<strong>and</strong>.high.<br />
mountains.stretching.eastward.from.the.province.<br />
<strong>of</strong>.Badakhshan..It.borders.Tajikistan.to.the.north,.<br />
Pakistan.to.the.south,.<strong>and</strong>.China.to.the.east..The.<br />
Wakhan. is. part. <strong>of</strong>. the. “Pamir. Knot”. from. which.<br />
radiate. the. Hindu. Kush,. Karakorum,. Himalayan,.<br />
<strong>and</strong>.Tien.Shan.Ranges..The.rich.biodiversity.<strong>of</strong>.the.<br />
Herd <strong>of</strong> yaks (Bos grunniens) in the Wakhan Corridor, Badakhshan Province. The yaks are frequently used by local people for transportation,<br />
milk <strong>and</strong> meat<br />
45
Change language