Laws aimed at protecting Afghanistans wildlife, waterways and forests, believed to be the first legal conservation tools in the country, have been developed by the Government with assistance from the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the agency announced Tuesday (3. Jan.).
– The Environment Act is the cornerstone for the development of an effective and integrated environmental management regime that secures environmentally sound sustainable development and use of natural resources, while still promoting economic and social well-being and development, Klaus Töpfer, UNEPs Executive Director, said.
– If we are to help deliver a stable future for this country and for countries across the globe, the environment must be factored into rehabilitation and future planning. For the environment is not a luxury but the basis for economic development and livelihoods, he added.
According to UNEP, over 80 per cent of Afghanistans population relies directly on the natural resource base to meet its daily needs, but two decades of conflict, exacerbated by a recent drought, have heavily damaged the Central Asian countrys natural resource base.
The new Environmental Act, developed in partnership with the World Conservation Union (IUCN) and international experts, consists of the frameworks needed to manage Afghanistans natural resources in a sustainable way, and to rehabilitate its damaged environment.
The Act also clarifies institutional responsibilities and contains compliance and enforcement provisions.
Kilde: FNs nyhedstjeneste
