It was the first time that a delegation of Afghanistan led by Taliban was to attend the climate talks at the United Nations, and it marked the first official presence of the country at a global platform since the group came into power in 2021. The Taliban delegation joined the discussions in Baku, Azerbaijan, where they requested global support for climate action in Afghanistan that highly impacts the climate.
Observer Status for Taliban Delegation
The Afghan delegation did attend the UN climate talks as observers, since the Taliban regime has not gained official international recognition as Afghanistan’s legitimate government. This said, they will now be engaging in global issues, including climate change-a serious threat to Afghanistan’s future.
Afghanistan’s Struggles with Climate Change
Everybody must join hands together to face the climate change situation, said Matuil Haq Khalis, head of Afghanistan’s environment protection agency, referring to the critical need for international support to address Afghanistan’s climate crisis. “Afghanistan has been ranked among the nations most vulnerable to climate change. Extreme weather is seen-sun battered-one year and long drought, flash floods.”.
Afghanistan One of the World’s Most Climate-Vulnerable Countries
Recent rankings of risk have ranked Afghanistan as the world’s sixth most climate-vulnerable country, a ranking that speaks to the catastrophic impact climate change has had in the region. Such vulnerability has been compounded by natural events, such as the catastrophic flash floods earlier this year that took the lives of more than 300 people in northern Afghanistan.
It is alarming that climate scientists have also cited an increasing 25% of extreme rainfall during the last four decades, which has added further risk to the population of the country.
Khalis calls for global climate action
Khalis says Afghanistan demands immediate international support to let this country cope with the new climate. He informs that Afghanistan works on national action plans to cope with climate change and that soon Afghanistan will update its climate targets to coincide with global climate goals.
There is a lot of renewable energy potential in Afghanistan, especially wind and sun power, but success requires a tremendous amount of international help, according to Khalis.
Taliban Indicates Bilateral Negotiations with the United States
Khalis also proposed commencement of bilateral negotiations with nations, including the United States to be able to develop positive cooperation on various things including climate change. He said that he would be willing if at all there is an invitation and that would be taken as a move towards developing Afghanistan as far as rebuilding the country and international relations are concerned.
Assessee: Gendered Impact of Climate Change
In response to a United Nations report that highlighted the disproportionate risks climate change places before women, Khalis acknowledged the broader impact of climate change across demographics. “The effects of climate change reach everywhere affecting women, children, men, plants, and animals,” he noted.
This affirms the commitment of Afghanistan in taking on the holistic approach toward climate change even as it recognizes that the action undertaken needs to be inclusive.
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