UNDP Officials Meet Taliban-Run Environment Agency Amid Climate Concerns
Two senior officials from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) met on Sunday with the head of Afghanistan’s National Environmental Protection Agency, which operates under the Taliban administration, to discuss the impacts of climate change on the country.
In the meeting between Shoko Noda, Deputy Director of UNDP’s Crisis Bureau, and Stephen Rodriguez, UNDP’s Representative in Afghanistan, and Matiulhaq Khalis, the head of the agency, the parties emphasized the urgent need for global attention to Afghanistan’s climate-related challenges.
UNDP representatives described the environmental crisis in Afghanistan as a humanitarian issue and pledged to convey the concerns and demands of the Afghan people to the international community. They also highlighted the need to revisit environmental projects that have been suspended.
During the discussions, Khalis called for a clear separation between environmental issues and political considerations, warning that any discriminatory approach toward Afghans in this area would be unacceptable. He stressed that Afghanistan must have the right to access international financial resources for environmental initiatives.
Despite Afghanistan suffering serious consequences of climate change, including drought, water scarcity, and soil erosion, the lack of a recognized government and the Taliban administration’s restrictive policies have led to the suspension or cancellation of many global environmental programs and aid.
