For the first time since seizing control of Afghanistan in August 2021, the Taliban has been invited to participate in an official United Nations climate event. Led by Matiul Haq Khalis, the head of Afghanistan’s National Environmental Protection Agency, a Taliban delegation arrived in Baku, Azerbaijan, on November 10 to attend COP29, the UN’s 29th annual climate conference. This unprecedented invitation has sparked discussion about the place of political considerations in global efforts to address the climate crisis.
COP29, which runs from November 11 to November 22, brings together leaders, environmental experts, and delegations from around the world to discuss the urgent need for cooperative action on climate change. With Afghanistan among the nations most severely impacted by environmental disasters, the Taliban’s participation may provide an opportunity for the war-torn country to re-engage on an issue of critical significance to its people, even in the absence of official international recognition.
Afghanistan’s environmental challenges are severe. The country has been ravaged by a series of natural disasters in recent years, including floods, droughts, and powerful earthquakes that have devastated communities, destroyed farmland, and claimed numerous lives. In 2023 alone, floods swept through northern, eastern, and central regions, displacing hundreds and damaging the livelihoods of thousands who rely on agriculture. Afghanistan’s location, combined with its fragile infrastructure and lack of resources, renders it acutely vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
Beyond the immediate losses caused by such catastrophes, Afghanistan faces long-term threats to food security and water access, exacerbated by the country’s economic isolation and limited infrastructure. Climate change experts argue that Afghanistan needs global cooperation and support to implement sustainable practices and fortify its environment, yet the Taliban’s contested rule has largely barred the country from joining these international dialogues.
In the lead-up to COP29, Afghanistan’s National Environmental Protection Agency issued a statement underscoring the significance of the conference for Afghanistan. The........