Natural resource management and peacebuilding in Afghanistan

This report investigates the ways in which the management of land, water, minerals, forests and drugs are linked to instability and insecurity in Afghanistan. Its aims are two-fold: first, to suggest ways that the government and the international community can maximise the peacebuilding opportunities that come from better natural resource management and, second, to encourage the international community to introduce safeguards in their existing projects to ensure they do not inadvertently exacerbate conflict. Afghanistan’s natural resources its land, water, forests and mineral deposits are critical to the country’s prospects for a peaceful and prosperous future. An estimated 70-80 per cent of Afghans rely on agriculture, animal husbandry and artisanal mining for their daily survival. The country needs to harness these assets to create jobs, generate revenue to fund basic government services and lift the country from its position near the bottom of the Human Development Index.