Your support helps us tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to big tech, The Independent is where the stories are unfolding. Whether we’re investigating the finances of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing ‘The A Word,’ the latest documentary highlighting American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to analyze the facts. Messaging.
At such a critical moment in American history, we need reporters on the field. Your donations allow us to continue sending journalists to tell both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across politics. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to block Americans’ reporting and analysis with a paywall. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, and those who can afford it should pay for it.
Your support makes a big difference.
teaThe Taliban’s demand for access to global climate finance amid worsening droughts, floods and food insecurity in Afghanistan has sparked a global dilemma. Will the inclusion of hard-line regimes be seen as justification for their brutal suppression of women and girls?
The Taliban delegation, which recently attended Cop29 in Baku as an observer for the first time since 2021, insisted on full party status in future climate negotiations and access to international climate funds.
“This is the right of our people, who are the most vulnerable to climate change,” says Mutiul Haq Nabi Kheel, head of the National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA). independence. “We should not be invited as guests. [in the next COP] But as a full participant.”
The plea comes as Afghanistan endures unrelenting climate disaster. Earlier this year, flash floods swept through villages in Ghor and Badakhshan, killing dozens, displacing thousands and wiping out farmland. The prolonged drought has left more than 12 million people, almost a third of the population, facing severe food insecurity. The climate crisis has left countries responsible for less than 0.1% of global emissions experiencing a devastating cycle of drought, floods and hunger.
The Taliban’s return to the climate stage has sparked debate over whether the world can provide aid to Afghanistan without recognizing a regime that directly opposes human rights values. Any involvement by the Taliban in the past has sparked a global backlash.
This year, when the de facto rulers sent officials to Qatar for talks with U.N. officials, Human Rights Watch warned that the move would cause “irreparable harm to the UN’s credibility in advocating for women’s rights and their meaningful participation.” “You can,” he said.
Concerns persist as the Taliban continues to isolate women from public life and, more recently, shut down their last few avenues of work, such as paramedical and midwifery training. In a 2023 report, Amnesty described the Taliban’s actions as “relentless and targeted repression of women and girls.”
But the worst brunt of Afghanistan’s climate finance exclusion, which has delayed critical projects that could mitigate the worst impacts of the climate crisis, will be borne by the most vulnerable.
Humanitarian groups and climate experts argue that inaction punishes the people, not Afghanistan’s rulers. “Try to explain to the woman in Afghanistan how you are hesitantly helping her,” says Graeme Smith, senior consultant at Crisis Group. “When she sees crops failing and children starving, she doesn’t care about world politics, she only cares about survival.”
Before the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, they had access to international funding, including the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the Adaptation Fund. But the Taliban’s lack of international recognition halted this flow overnight.
“Approximately $2.8 billion of ongoing infrastructure work was halted,” Smith said. “Water projects, irrigation systems, etc. are rusting in the desert.”
The funding freeze leaves the international community dependent on UN agencies and NGOs to provide climate-related assistance through humanitarian channels. But experts warn that while these efforts are essential, they are fragmented and lack the scale needed to address the challenge.
Srikant Misra, ActionAid’s Afghanistan director, explains the lack of disaster preparedness: “In Ghor, we saw floods wiping out entire villages because people didn’t have time to respond. Simple measures such as check dams, flood walls and rain gauges could save lives. But even these basic things are not funded.”
Misra said the risk is increased by a lack of community education, especially in rural areas. “When it rains or snows a lot, people don’t know how to react. “The community does not have the tools or information to predict disaster.”
For Afghan women, the consequences are disproportionately severe. “Women suffer the most when disaster strikes,” says Shahin Ashraf of Islamic Relief. “They cannot access markets to buy food, and rising prices of essentials such as flour are making it more difficult for women-led families to survive.”
Despite the Taliban’s limited technical capabilities and resources, they have made efforts to address Afghanistan’s environmental problems. Projects such as the Kush Tepa Canal, which aims to provide irrigation to thousands of people, have been assessed as key initiatives. But experts are skeptical of its effectiveness.
“They were digging trenches in the desert, but without the technical expertise and funding, it was unclear whether this would provide long-term benefits,” says Smith.
At the same time, climate adaptation requires coordination at the national level. This is a difficult task in Afghanistan, where the international isolation of the Taliban has left the government excluded from key discussions.
Smith explains that small, isolated projects are no substitute for the coordinated infrastructure planning needed to address floods, droughts and water management. “Water flows across regions and borders. Without a national plan, what are we really solving?”
The Taliban’s observer status at Cop29 was a start, but securing full party status at next year’s Cop30 in Brazil will be much more contentious.
The symbolic importance of such recognition, combined with access to funds such as the GCF, would place many governments in a political bind.
“Decision-makers in the West are held accountable by the anger of voters and social media,” explains Smith. “If money flows into Afghanistan and the Taliban halts new infrastructure projects, the backlash could be enormous, even if the money saves lives in Afghanistan.”
Nonetheless, humanitarian groups emphasize that the international community cannot ignore Afghanistan’s worsening climate crisis.
“This is not just about responding to a disaster,” says Misra. “It’s about preparing communities for a future that’s already here, building infrastructure, supporting farmers and empowering women.”
Afghanistan’s vulnerability to the climate crisis has been exacerbated by decades of war and instability, which have weakened institutional capacity at all levels. In villages across the country, families are faced with impossible decisions. Droughts persist, crops fail, floods destroy homes, and a lack of resources leaves entire communities helpless.
Experts claim a solution exists. Direct funding to the Taliban remains politically unpalatable, but alternatives, such as channeling funds through UN agencies, NGOs or local partnerships, could resume important work.
“The people of Afghanistan cannot wait for a political solution,” says Ashraf. “We cannot punish women and children for government actions they did not choose.”
Smith believes the focus should be on results, not optics. “Climate change is not about politics. This is hitting Afghanistan harder than anywhere else. “If we are serious about helping Afghan women and children, we must find ways to act.”
