In Afghanistan, a new national park carries hopes for conservation and peace

[UngulateNerd92]

I know that this is from March, but I felt it was interesting and relevant enough to share here. Many people including those in the scientific community often overlook the biodiversity and ecosystems in Afghanistan. Despite it's prevelant struggles, it is still a beautiful country. Being from Tucson, every year at the beginning of the year, we hold the world's largest gem & mineral show dispersed in different locations throughout the city. One of the mineral dealers who is German makes frequent collecting trips in Afghanistan.

"Ibrahim Abrar’s first visit to Afghanistan’s Bamyan province, where he encountered the Dar-e-Bozurk, or Grand Canyon, is an experience he says he’ll never forget.

He describes it as “a vast emptiness of gigantic and deep canyons, pristine rangeland, and rather intimidating dignified, old juniper trees.”

In November 2019, more than a decade after that first encounter, Abrar, now a project manager with the Wildlife Conservation Society’s (WCS) Afghanistan program, returned with government officials to announce the establishment of the Bamyan Plateau Protected Area. Only the fifth protected area in Afghanistan, and the second-biggest at 4,200 square kilometers (1,600 square miles), roughly the size of the U.S. state of Rhode Island, it’s a landscape rich with ecological, social and cultural significance."

https://news-mongabay-com.cdn.amppr...carries-hopes-for-conservation-and-peace/amp/

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

I know that this is from March, but I felt it was interesting and relevant enough to share here. Many people including those in the scientific community often overlook the biodiversity and ecosystems in Afghanistan. Despite it's prevelant struggles, it is still a beautiful country. Being from Tucson, every year at the beginning of the year, we hold the world's largest gem & mineral show dispersed in different locations throughout the city. One of the mineral dealers who is German makes frequent collecting trips in Afghanistan.

"Ibrahim Abrar’s first visit to Afghanistan’s Bamyan province, where he encountered the Dar-e-Bozurk, or Grand Canyon, is an experience he says he’ll never forget.

He describes it as “a vast emptiness of gigantic and deep canyons, pristine rangeland, and rather intimidating dignified, old juniper trees.”

In November 2019, more than a decade after that first encounter, Abrar, now a project manager with the Wildlife Conservation Society’s (WCS) Afghanistan program, returned with government officials to announce the establishment of the Bamyan Plateau Protected Area. Only the fifth protected area in Afghanistan, and the second-biggest at 4,200 square kilometers (1,600 square miles), roughly the size of the U.S. state of Rhode Island, it’s a landscape rich with ecological, social and cultural significance."

https://news-mongabay-com.cdn.amppr...carries-hopes-for-conservation-and-peace/amp/

It is great to hear some good news coming out of this country.

 

[UngulateNerd92]

It is great to hear some good news coming out of this country.

I totally agree! Good news, particularly conservation-related coming out of that country is unfortunately hard to come by.

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

I totally agree! Good news, particularly conservation-related coming out of that country is unfortunately hard to come by.

I strongly believe that if the late and great Ahmed Shah Massoud "the Lion of Panjshir" had become the leader of the country (that he was so clearly equipped to be) that he would have prioritized the development of Protected areas, National Parks and conservation of biodiversity within Afghanistan.

His untimely death / assasination by the Taliban / Al Qaeda is one of the great tragedies of Afghan and world history in my opinion.

 

[UngulateNerd92]

I strongly believe that if the late and great Ahmed Shah Massoud "the Lion of Panjshir" had become the leader of the country (that he was so clearly equipped to be) that he would have prioritized the development of Protected areas, National Parks and conservation of biodiversity within Afghanistan.

His untimely death / assasination by the Taliban / Al Qaeda is one of the great tragedies of Afghan and world history in my opinion.

Wow, thank you for sharing this with us. I never knew about this man, but I just went to his Wikipedia page to learn a bit about him, and he sounds like a good man. What conservation milestones has he accomplished in the country?

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

Wow, thank you for sharing this with us. I never knew about this man, but I just went to his Wikipedia page to learn a bit about him, and he sounds like a good man. What conservation milestones has he accomplished in the country?

Massoud as far as I know never accomplished any conservation milestones within his country as he was killed by Al Qaeda before he could have reached the point of even having the luxury of considering them.

His milestones were more spectacular strategic millitary ones in successfully leading guerilla warfare campaigns first against the occupation by the Soviet Union and then against the Pakistani backed Taliban and then against Al Qaeda and Bin Laden (in which he died and sadly just as he had the ******* cornered and was about to wipe them out).

However, given his secular and progressive views on democracy, womens rights, protecting archeological sites from Islamic fundamentalist attacks and generally rebuilding his country I would assume that Massoud would have had similarly progressive views towards establishing National parks and the conservation of biodiversity.

I don't think it is possible to be engaged in guerilla warfare for your entire adult life and be reliant on Afghanistan's rugged mountainous terrain and wilderness areas for survival and a base and not also deeply love these natural areas and to appreciate their stark beauty.

I think he would have been ultimately well disposed towards the idea of conserving his countries natural resources and natural beauty and certainly would had the qualities and will to commit to this.