KABUL (SW) – The Islamic Emirate authorities from the de-facto National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA) expressed hope that Afghanistan will be invited to the upcoming COP-29 global climate summit.
They aim to ensure that the country and its vulnerable populations receive adequate representation on the international stage.
During a presentation of the agency’s annual achievements on Tuesday, officials noted their expectation for Afghanistan’s formal invitation to the COP-29 conference, scheduled to be held in Azerbaijan this year. They emphasized the importance of global attention on Afghanistan’s environmental needs and the rights of its people.
According to the NEPA, over the past year, they have assessed the environmental and social impacts of 1,520 various activities and projects in both the public and private sectors. Out of these, 1,498 projects received environmental approval and permits, while the remaining 22 were rejected due to non-compliance with environmental standards.
Zain Al-Abedin Abed, Deputy Director of Policy and Professional Affairs at the agency, reported that environmental monitoring was conducted on a total of 22,328 activities across various sectors, including residential areas, high-rise buildings, wedding halls, factories, brick kilns, and other businesses. Of these, 14,825 activities met environmental standards, 1,581 activities required modifications, and recommendations were made for 2,849 others to ensure compliance.
The agency also highlighted that in the past year, they signed five cooperation agreements with non-governmental organizations for implementing environmental projects valued at over $1 million, and they continue to oversee these projects’ execution.
Additionally, progress has been made on resuming 10 climate and environmental projects valued at a total of $58.7 million. The officials stressed their commitment to advancing these initiatives and ensuring effective environmental protection in Afghanistan.
