Taliban and Qatar Discuss Climate Change Cooperation Amidst Afghanistan’s Environmental Challenges
Motia Al-Haq Khalis, head of the National Environmental Protection Agency under the Taliban administration, met with Mirdaf Al-Qashoti, Chargé d’Affaires of the Qatari Embassy in Afghanistan, to emphasize the need to revive suspended environmental projects and expand bilateral cooperation in combating climate change. This meeting took place as Afghanistan remains one of the countries most affected by global warming and the water crisis.
According to information released by the agency, the Qatari Chargé d’Affaires referred to his consultations with representatives from Brazil, host of the upcoming Climate Change Conference (COP-30), and the office of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) regarding Afghanistan’s participation in this conference. He stated that climate issues should not fall victim to political conflicts, as the climate crisis is a shared global threat requiring extensive regional and international cooperation.
The meeting also highlighted the importance of Afghanistan joining global climate change conferences and gaining access to international environmental resources. However, the absence of a legitimate government and the Taliban administration’s political isolation at the international level remain major obstacles to Afghanistan’s meaningful participation in global decision-making on this issue.
While many environmental projects in the country remain suspended, Taliban officials, without providing clear guarantees regarding transparency and adherence to global standards, are seeking technical and financial cooperation from foreign entities—a move that has raised serious questions domestically and internationally.
