Taliban said they issued environmental permits for 1,147 projects across the country over the past year, according to officials from the Taliban-run National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA), who spoke at the agency’s annual reporting session in Kabul.
They also reported drafting and implementing nine technical guidelines aimed at enforcing environmental standards and improving project compliance.
According to the agency, environmental surveys were conducted in protected areas including Wakhan, Kunduz, Darqad and Nuristan. The officials added that more than 15,000 animals and birds were released into the wild as part of conservation efforts.
In addition, the agency said it carried out approximately 613 public awareness campaigns related to environmental protection, reportedly reaching 300,000 people directly and an estimated 17 million indirectly through various outreach platforms.
Taliban officials from NEPA said that 23,000 activities related to air pollution control were reviewed over the year. Of these, 283 operations were modified to meet environmental standards, and 301 licenses were issued to regulate polluting activities.
The agency also said it signed six cooperation agreements worth $548,295 with non-governmental organizations for the implementation of environmental projects across the country.
The Taliban’s environmental agency has operated with limited international engagement since their return to power in 2021, and data shared by the Taliban is difficult to independently verify.