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Four decades of conflict in Afghanistan have destroyed or severally damaged much of the infrastructure in Afghanistan, particularly in rural areas. This coupled with changes in climate, has critically positioned Afghanistan as one of the most vulnerable countries to climate hazards in South Asia, with an increased number of floods and drought events. According to Global Adaptation Index (ND-GAIN), Afghanistan is ranked 176th (out of 181 countries) with respect to vulnerability and ability to cope with climate change. Factors including the poor state of infrastructure, the burden of environmental and climate stressors, high levels of poverty, lack of livelihood and income-generating opportunities have led to increased climate-related conflict and migration. Despite limited financial resources and little adaptive capacity to effectively manage the impacts of climate change, the government in partnership with international organizations, had started different initiatives to cope with these climate-generated problems. Haseeb Payab, former Deputy Director General of Plan, Policy and Monitoring at the National Environmental Protection Agency of Afghanistan will discuss these issues, challenges, initiatives and opportunities in this seminar.
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