Biodiversity Profile of Afghanistan - Disasters and Conflicts - UNEP
Biodiversity Profile of Afghanistan - Disasters and Conflicts - UNEP
Biodiversity Profile of Afghanistan - Disasters and Conflicts - UNEP
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Foreword<br />
<strong>Afghanistan</strong>. is. a. country. rich. in. living. resources.<br />
<strong>and</strong>.natural.beauty...Its.spectacular.l<strong>and</strong>scapes.<br />
<strong>of</strong>. mountains,. deserts,. woodl<strong>and</strong>s. <strong>and</strong>. forests.<br />
are. home. to. a. wide. range. <strong>of</strong>. flora. <strong>and</strong>. fauna.<br />
existing. in. multiple. ecological. settings.. . Natural.<br />
resources. <strong>and</strong>. associated. biological. diversity.<br />
provides.the.livelihood.basis.for.up.to.80%.<strong>of</strong>.the.<br />
Afghan.population...At.the.same.time,.biodiversity.<br />
is.being.degraded.as.immediate.needs,.ongoing.<br />
conflict,. internal. displacement,. high. rates. <strong>of</strong>.<br />
population. growth,. low. levels. <strong>of</strong>. education,. <strong>and</strong>.<br />
poverty,.result.in.a.prioritization.<strong>of</strong>.survival.over.the.<br />
longer-term. sustainability. <strong>of</strong>. natural. resource. use.<br />
<strong>and</strong>. management.. . The. potentially. far-reaching.<br />
impacts.<strong>of</strong>.biodiversity.loss.<strong>and</strong>.natural.resource.<br />
degradation. for. the. Afghan. people. led. the.<br />
Government.<strong>of</strong>.the.Islamic.Republic.<strong>of</strong>.<strong>Afghanistan</strong>.<br />
to.sign.<strong>and</strong>.ratify.the.United.Nations.Convention.on.<br />
Biological.Diversity.(UNCBD).in.1992.<br />
The. year. 2008,. however,. presents. <strong>Afghanistan</strong>.<br />
with. many. opportunities. to. move. towards. the.<br />
conservation.<strong>of</strong>.its.biological.diversity...The.Forest.<br />
Law,.Rangel<strong>and</strong>.Law,.L<strong>and</strong>.Policy.<strong>and</strong>.protected.<br />
area. regulations. have. all. been. drafted. <strong>and</strong>.<br />
are. currently. being. reviewed. by. the. Afghan.<br />
Government.. . There. are. multiple. community.<br />
based. natural. resource. management. initiatives.<br />
being. supported. by. the. Government. <strong>and</strong>. the.<br />
International. Community. around. the. country..<br />
And.the.draft.management.plan.for.B<strong>and</strong>-e-Amir.<br />
protected.area.is.in.its.final.stages.<strong>of</strong>.approval.<br />
With. funding. from. the. European. Commission,.<br />
Government.<strong>of</strong>.Finl<strong>and</strong>.<strong>and</strong>.Global.Environment.<br />
Facility. (GEF),. the. United. Nations. Environment.<br />
Programme.(<strong>UNEP</strong>).has.supported.the.Government.<br />
<strong>of</strong>.the.Islamic.Republic.<strong>of</strong>.<strong>Afghanistan</strong>.to.implement.<br />
the. National. Capacity. Needs. Self-Assessment.<br />
for. Global. Environment. Management. (NCSA).<br />
which.aims.to.identify.country.level.priorities.<strong>and</strong>.<br />
needs. for. capacity. building. to. address. global.<br />
environmental.issues.<strong>and</strong>,.in.particular,.enhance.<br />
the. capacity. <strong>of</strong>. <strong>Afghanistan</strong>. to. meet. its. existing.<br />
commitments.under.the.UNCBD,.the.United.Nations.<br />
Convention. to. Combat. Desertification. (UNCCD).<br />
<strong>and</strong>. the. United. Nations. Framework. Convention.<br />
on. Climate. Change. (UNFCCC),. . As. part. <strong>of</strong>. this.<br />
process,.<strong>UNEP</strong>.has.supported.the.elaboration.<strong>of</strong>.<br />
this.<strong>Biodiversity</strong>.<strong>Pr<strong>of</strong>ile</strong>.<strong>of</strong>.<strong>Afghanistan</strong>,.2008.<br />
This.report.presents.a.comprehensive.summary.<strong>of</strong>.<br />
the.status.<strong>of</strong>.<strong>Afghanistan</strong>’s.biodiversity.in.2008...I.<br />
sincerely.hope.that.this.report.will.be.useful.not.only.<br />
to.the.people.<strong>of</strong>.<strong>Afghanistan</strong>,.but.also.to.all.donor.<br />
countries.<strong>and</strong>.international.organizations.supporting.<br />
the.conservation.<strong>and</strong>.sustainable.management.<strong>of</strong>.<br />
the.country’s.biological.resources.<br />
Asif.Zaidi<br />
Programme.Manager<br />
United.Nations.Environment.Programme<br />
An Output <strong>of</strong> the National Capacity Needs Self-Assessment
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