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Afghanistan ranked as one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change

Published

5 years ago

December 18, 2020

Afghanistan has been ranked eighth out of 170 countries for its vulnerability to climate change over the next 30 years, with 59 percent of the population affected by climate shocks compared to 19 percent suffering from security related shocks.

Working in collaboration with a number of organizations and government agencies, ActionAid and Climate Action Network South Asia (CANSA) published its latest report Climate Change Drives Migration in Conflict-Ridden Afghanistan on Thursday and said for every one million inhabitants, 1,150 people die in Afghanistan every year, half of them from weather-related and geophysical events.

The report stated that the country’s low level of socio-economic development, combined with rising levels of insecurity, make people extremely vulnerable to disasters.

As a result, Afghanistan sees frequent loss of lives, property and livelihoods.

At the end of 2019, Afghanistan had 1,198,000 people displaced internally as a result of disasters, more than any other country.

The drought in 2018-19 affected more than two-thirds of Afghanistan, displacing over 260,000 people and leaving about 9.8 million people in food crisis.

The number of people affected each year by flooding could more than double by 2050 due to the combined effect of climate change and poor socio-economic growth, the report read.

The study found that climate change predictions for Afghanistan reveal an increase in temperature that will have dramatic impacts on the country’s agricultural production, water availability and food security.

An average warming of 1.5°C until 2050 will severely affect agriculture, water resources, ecosystems, food security, health and energy production, read the report.

The report also warned that a higher increase in temperature will likely completely change the environment and current ecosystems, which would devastate the economy and the food security of the rural majority.

The Humanitarian Needs Overview 2020, by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), states, “Conflict remains the main driver of displacement, however natural hazards (both slow and sudden onset) also contribute to, and trigger population movements.

“Afghanistan is highly prone to natural disasters, whose frequency and intensity are exacerbated by the effects of climate change,” the report read.

There can often be multi-faceted reasons people move in Afghanistan including economic migrants.

However, the report states that people are likely to be classed as economic migrants when they move from rural areas to urban centres, seeking better employment and income opportunities.

“The reasons could be because their land is no longer productive after multiple floods, or their crops have failed for the past few years because of drought. These are impacts of climate change but the resulting displacement may not be attributed to climate change,” read the report.

“Often critical contributing factors, many of which can be linked to climate change, result in migration,” it stated.

It also noted that institutional arrangements in the country for climate induced migration primarily focus on disaster response but that there is a need for a vision to address the long-term effects of climate change.

“The emphasis is on the immediate response to climate-induced loss and damage, rather than on climate change mitigation or adaptation.”

“Afghanistan lacks a well-resourced and broad national development programme to address the impacts of climate change and prepare for the future challenges,” read the report.

Although Afghanistan has a number of policies for migration, disaster response and the environment, it does not have well established policies for migration through climate change.

Related Topics:#ArianaNews #ATNNews #AfghanNews #AryanaNews #ATN #News #Afghanistan #CANSA #climatechange featured

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Pakistan to repatriate nearly 20,000 Afghans awaiting US resettlement

Authorities will also share verified data of the affected individuals with relevant departments to support implementation.

Published

5 hours ago

February 9, 2026

Ariana News

Pakistan will repatriate nearly 20,000 Afghan nationals currently awaiting resettlement in the United States, The Nation reported, citing official sources.

The move affects 19,973 Afghans living across Pakistan.

A federal directive will instruct provincial chief secretaries and police chiefs in Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, and the Islamabad Capital Territory to begin the repatriation process immediately.

Authorities will also share verified data of the affected individuals with relevant departments to support implementation.

Following the Islamic Emirate’s return to power in 2021, more than 100,000 Afghans fled to Pakistan, many of whom had worked with the US and UK governments, international organizations, or aid agencies.

Thousands have remained stranded in Pakistan for over four years while awaiting US resettlement clearance.

Prospects for relocation have dimmed amid a suspension of case processing by the US administration, according to The Nation.

Under Pakistan’s Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan (IFRP), all Afghan nationals still awaiting US relocation will now be returned to Afghanistan.

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Terrorist activities observed along Afghanistan borders, says Lavrov

Published

9 hours ago

February 9, 2026

Ariana News

Terrorist activities continue to be observed along Afghanistan borders and along the India–Pakistan–Afghanistan corridor, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview published on Monday.

Speaking to Russia-based media outlet TV BRICS, Lavrov pointed to ongoing concerns in the Middle East, including its Asian regions.

He highlighted the importance of collaboration with India at the United Nations to advance a global counter-terrorism convention.

Lavrov stated that while the draft convention has already been prepared, consensus on its adoption has not yet been reached.

Russia has repeatedly expressed concern about militant threats from Afghanistan. The Islamic Emirate, however, has dismissed the concerns saying that it will not allow Afghanistan’s soil to be used against any country.

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Afghan border minister holds phone talks with Iran’s deputy foreign minister

Published

9 hours ago

February 9, 2026

Ariana News

Noorullah Noori, Afghanistan’s Minister of Borders and Tribal Affairs, held a phone conversation with Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, to discuss bilateral border cooperation.

According to the Iranian news agency IRNA, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening border collaboration, with a particular focus on the ongoing renovation and updating of border markers. They also agreed to accelerate joint technical and legal meetings to enhance coordination.

As part of the agreement, the next meeting of senior border officials from Afghanistan and Iran is scheduled to take place in Iran in 1405 (2026–2027).