Question: How does a wars in Afghanistan affect Environment?

By Savar Wadhawan Introduction background

2012

Many years of war have damaged Afghanistan's environment, creating further misery in a country whose income is one of the worlds lowest. Many years of stress caused by the war on the country's people have dramatically changed the landscape and caused major environmental destruction.

Environmental effects The war on the country has intensely changed the land and caused a great deal of destruction to the environment. The people in Afghanistan do not have the money to buy fuel they must cut trees, uproot shrubs, and collect dung for burning. Forests are being cut the result is widespread soil erosion by water and wind. The Soviets took advantage of Afghanistans natural resources, including natural gas, petroleum, copper, iron and precious stones but for many Afghans, because of economic problems there was no choice but to cultivate and trade poppies -- the plant used to make opium and its product heroin. In 2004, an Afghani poppy farmer told the News Hour, "I know it's illegal to grow poppy, and I realize it's dangerous for people, but there's no other way for us. We have a very small piece of land, and we are 20 people in our family. Our land is too small to grow wheat. Effects Cultural Before the war all political groups were equal among ethnic groups. In the mid-1990s some of the ethnic groups wanted to re-establish power outside of the dominant groups of the Pashtoons in Kabul. After the war some of the ethnic groups wanted more power which caused violence. An Islamic terrorist group called al-Qaida was very active in trying to drive out foreign powers

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Question: How does a wars in Afghanistan affect Environment? By Savar Wadhawan

2012

from Afghanistan. At the same time began an Islamic fundamentalist movement called Taliban composed of students in the Helmand and Kandahar region of Afghanistan. Overwhelmingly local ethnic Pashtuns, the Taliban blended Pashtun tribal code with elements of Deobandi Islamic teaching to form an anti-Western, anti-modern, and highly restrictive Islamic fundamentalist philosophy with which it ruled. Effects on People
While in power in Afghanistan, the Taliban was famous for their treatment of women. The point of the Taliban was to create a save environment which allowed the women to be holy which is a part of the Islamic law. The Islamic law also say that women must wear a face covering. Women wanting an education were forced to attend underground schools, where they and their teachers were killed if caught. They were not allowed to be treated by male doctors unless accompanied by a male member of their family. The Taliban allowed and in some cases encouraged marriage for girls under the age of 16.

In all this sadness the people of Afghanistan want peace and control. It seems that the future will be full of darkness full of disappointment. Conclusion The war has affected environment, cultural, and the people. People of Afghanistan have suffered and the effect of war will remain for their coming generations. The land there will never be fertile because of chemical weapons and the land mines that were left by the Russians. Young children have learned violence before getting any kind of education. The condition of women is terrible. Afghanistan due to the war has gone many years behind any developed country. Sources

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Question: How does a wars in Afghanistan affect Environment? By Savar Wadhawan

"Afghanistan: Conflict Profile." Afghanistan: Conflict Profile. Web. 14 May 2012.

2012

<http://www.insightonconflict.org/conflicts/afghanistan/conflict-profile/>.Salman, Aneel. "The

Afghanistan Conflict and Its Effects on the Environment - Panorama - TakingITGlobal." The Afghanistan Conflict and Its Effects on the Environment - Panorama - TakingITGlobal. Web. 14 May 2012. <http://www.tigweb.org/youth-media/panorama/article.html?ContentID=786>.

"Afghanistan." Salaam. Web. 30 Apr. 2012. <http://www.salaam.co.uk/themeofthemonth/december01_inde.php?l=7>. Vaughn, Jacqueline. "Endangered species." World Geography: Understanding a Changing World.

Afghanistan: Environment." World Geography: Understanding a Changing World.

ABC-CLIO, 2012. Web. 30 Apr. 2012.

PBS. PBS. Web. 14 May 2012. <http://www.pbs.org/newshour/indepth_coverage/asia/afghanistan/economic.html.

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