Taliban to Attend COP29 for First Time Since Afghanistan’s 2021 Takeover

The Taliban will attend the UN’s COP29 climate conference for the first time since their takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, the country’s National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA) announced on Sunday, November 10, 2024.

The conference, which begins on Monday, November 11, in Azerbaijan, marks a significant moment as it is one of the first major international forums where the Taliban will participate, despite not being officially recognized as Afghanistan’s legitimate government.

NEPA posted on social media platform X that a technical delegation had traveled to Baku to take part in the event. Matiul Haq Khalis, the head of NEPA, stated that the delegation would use the opportunity to strengthen cooperation with the international community on environmental protection and climate change, address Afghanistan’s needs in accessing climate finance, and discuss strategies for adaptation and mitigation.

Experts have pointed to the significant impacts of climate change on Afghanistan, a country highly vulnerable due to its geographical location and ongoing challenges in climate policy. Hayatullah Mashwani, a professor of environmental science at Kabul University, noted that rising temperatures have reduced water sources and increased the frequency of droughts, severely impacting agriculture and exacerbating food insecurity. “The reduction in water availability and frequent droughts pose severe threats to agriculture, leading to food insecurity and challenges to livelihoods,” Mashwani explained.

A recent report from the international aid agency Save the Children highlighted Afghanistan as the sixth most vulnerable country to climate change, with 25 of its 34 provinces facing severe or catastrophic drought conditions, affecting more than half the population. Additionally, as of the end of 2023, Afghanistan had the highest number of children displaced by climate disasters globally.