Posted on Dec 19, 2023
Afghan student made a plea for his uninvited homeland at U.N. climate summit
311
2
1
1
1
0
https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2023/12/19/ [login to see] /afghan-student-made-a-plea-for-his-uninvited-homeland-at-u-n-climate-summit
Hamidullah Nadeem was a lonely figure at COP28, the U.N. climate summit that just ended.
He was of only a handful of people from Afghanistan who attended.
Afghanistan is, according to the U.N., one of the ten countries most affected by climate change, with repeated droughts and flash floods taking a toll on local communities and the agrarian economy.
But the U.N. has not invited representatives from Afghanistan to its climate summits since the Taliban took power in 2021 — and in 2022 deferred a decision on future Afghanistan representation. U.N. representatives have not responded to journalists who've asked for an explanation.
Hamidullah Nadeem was a lonely figure at COP28, the U.N. climate summit that just ended.
He was of only a handful of people from Afghanistan who attended.
Afghanistan is, according to the U.N., one of the ten countries most affected by climate change, with repeated droughts and flash floods taking a toll on local communities and the agrarian economy.
But the U.N. has not invited representatives from Afghanistan to its climate summits since the Taliban took power in 2021 — and in 2022 deferred a decision on future Afghanistan representation. U.N. representatives have not responded to journalists who've asked for an explanation.
Afghan student made a plea for his uninvited homeland at U.N. climate summit
Posted from npr.org
Afghanistan
Climate Change
Farming
Agriculture
Posted 6 mo ago
Responses: 1
1
1
0
PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."Feeling frustrated
At the side event, Nadeem distributed a pamphlet with a Youth Policy Statement put together by a coalition of Afghan NGOs, offering suggestions for solutions gathered through surveys of university students in Afghanistan who are working on climate change.
But he left COP28 disappointed as many of the nonprofit groups he spoke to continue to struggle with how to address the Taliban problem.
Dan Norton is a spokesperson for the Green Climate Fund (GCF), established by COP in 2010 to help developing countries counter climate change. Since GCF adheres to guidance from COP, they "do not currently have a recognized partner organization on-the-ground in Afghanistan," he told NPR.
"The international community is looking at ways to respond to the multitude of challenges that Afghanistan currently faces and the modalities for how that help and assistance is delivered," he added.
And that just means more delays – and more frustration — for Nadeem, for whom climate change is a personal issue. "My family depends on water from our wells for daily use, and we have had to dig deeper well, use stronger pumps to access water. We have our own grape orchards, and we were not able to grow what we wanted because of the lack of water. It is harder for those farmers can't afford to dig deeper wells or pumps, or even the electricity to operate those pumps," he said, speculating that yields in their family orchards have dropped by almost 30%.
He's hoping for more collaborative efforts that help Afghanistan cope but isn't optimistic.
For Sadid, the professor now living in Germany, the absence of an official Afghan delegation at this year's summit was a lost opportunity:
"Afghanistan's participation [in COP28], not necessarily its government but climate activists, water and agriculture experts, could have opened a dialog on how vulnerable communities in the country can still be helped in mitigating the impact of climate change."
..."Feeling frustrated
At the side event, Nadeem distributed a pamphlet with a Youth Policy Statement put together by a coalition of Afghan NGOs, offering suggestions for solutions gathered through surveys of university students in Afghanistan who are working on climate change.
But he left COP28 disappointed as many of the nonprofit groups he spoke to continue to struggle with how to address the Taliban problem.
Dan Norton is a spokesperson for the Green Climate Fund (GCF), established by COP in 2010 to help developing countries counter climate change. Since GCF adheres to guidance from COP, they "do not currently have a recognized partner organization on-the-ground in Afghanistan," he told NPR.
"The international community is looking at ways to respond to the multitude of challenges that Afghanistan currently faces and the modalities for how that help and assistance is delivered," he added.
And that just means more delays – and more frustration — for Nadeem, for whom climate change is a personal issue. "My family depends on water from our wells for daily use, and we have had to dig deeper well, use stronger pumps to access water. We have our own grape orchards, and we were not able to grow what we wanted because of the lack of water. It is harder for those farmers can't afford to dig deeper wells or pumps, or even the electricity to operate those pumps," he said, speculating that yields in their family orchards have dropped by almost 30%.
He's hoping for more collaborative efforts that help Afghanistan cope but isn't optimistic.
For Sadid, the professor now living in Germany, the absence of an official Afghan delegation at this year's summit was a lost opportunity:
"Afghanistan's participation [in COP28], not necessarily its government but climate activists, water and agriculture experts, could have opened a dialog on how vulnerable communities in the country can still be helped in mitigating the impact of climate change."
(1)
(0)
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google