KABUL (SW) – Findings by the National Environmental Protection Agency suggest greenhouse gas emissions in Afghanistan would surge by 21 per cent by 2030.
NEPA released its first report in this regard titled as “Afghanistan Greenhouse Gas Inventory”, which has been prepared to develop policies and programs to reduce climate change impacts, adapt to climate change, and invest in various national programs.
Ezatullah Siddiqui, interim head of the NEPA said Afghanistan’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2017 were 43.47 million tons, up at least 140 percent from 1990. According to him, in 2017, greenhouse gases generated by Afghanistan’s energy sector made up to 49.8 percent, while 46.2 percent was generated by agriculture, 3.5 percent by waste and the rest by the overall industry and others.
The interim head of the National Environmental Protection Agency added that per capita greenhouse gas emissions in Afghanistan are 1.47 tons per year, but this figure is 4.8 tons per year in rest of the world. According to him, although Afghanistan’s share in greenhouse gas emissions is small, emissions are projected to increase by 21 percent by 2030.
“The higher our standard of living gets, the higher our greenhouse gas emissions would go, and it is predicted that greenhouse gas emissions will increase by 21 percent by 2030,” said Ezatullah Siddiqui.
The interim head of the NEPA also said that global studies of global warming show that global warming has increased by 1.5 percent in 2017 compared to 1990, but unfortunately a new report by the agency showed that this figure has increased by 1.8%.
Officials at the National Environmental Protection Agency said the effects of climate change in conflict-ridden countries, including Afghanistan, are greater because of obstacles to building infrastructure in agriculture, water resources, energy, transport and waste to adapt to climate change.
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