Afghanistan Lists Threatened Wildlife Species
Hunting and Harvesting Ban Affects Afghani Animals, Birds and Plants
Jun 29, 2009
Recognizing that 30 years of conflict have taken a toll on the environment as well as the people of Afghanistan, as many as 70 species of plants, birds, mammals and amphibians are likely to be listed by the Afghani environmental agency before the year is out.
Afghanistan's National Wildlife Protection Agency
The National Wildlife Protection Agency (Nepa) was established in 2005, the same year the country’s first environmental law was written. Nepa is now the country’s environmental policy-making and regulating institute. The agency also has law enforcement powers where environmental issues are concerned.
Conflict and poverty within Afghanistan have put serious pressure on natural resources within the country but the National Wildlife Protection Agency is set up to take over wildlife management as a presidential ban on hunting expires.
The Threatened Wildlife of Afghanistan
An initial listing of 20 mammals, seven birds, four plants and an amphibian has been issued by the National Wildlife Protection Agency. The mammals listed include the critically endangered snow leopard (Panthera uncia or Uncia uncia), the brown bear (Ursus artos) and the wolf (Canis lupus), all of which were threatened by hunting.
The lone amphibian on the list is the endemic and critically endangered Paghman salamander (Batrrachuperus musteri) found only in some parts of the Paghman River system. Estimates are that only 2000 of the salamanders survive and their habitat, cold, fast flowing waters, may be affected by climate change.
Multiple avian species are being considered for the threatened list, but already there have been some sightings of such critically endangered birds as the Siberian crane (Grus leucogeranus) in 2008. In that year some initial surveys of the wildlife of Afghanistan were conducted, resulting in the initial list of thirty-two protected species.
National Park System to Aid in Protection of Threatened Species
The newly declared Band-e-Amir National Park is the first of several proposed protected areas in Afghanistan. While the first park was chosen partially to highlight the spectacular natural beauty of the country, there are other areas of Afghanistan with greater biodiversity. As the national park system builds, some of these sites are expected to be included.
The Future for Wildlife Protection in Afghanistan
The development of both a national park system framework and the National Wildlife Protection Agency in the last few years in Afghanistan is a sign that the country is attempting to conserve its natural heritage despite the ongoing disputes. Whether the efforts will gain momentum or be slowed by conflict.
The incorporation of local people into the surveying and planning process gives the programs a better chance of success but the progress made on environmental issues in the next few years will provide a better measure of the success of Afghanistan’s conservation efforts.
