Environment
Afghanistan
Climate
climates that vary from arid to semi-arid, characterized by cold winters and hot summers
Land use
other
39.7% (2023 est.)
forest
1.9% (2023 est.)
agricultural land
58.4% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 12% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 0.4% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 46% (2023 est.)
Urbanization
urban population
26.9% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization
3.34% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Waste and recycling
municipal solid waste generated annually
5.629 million tons (2024 est.)
percent of municipal solid waste recycled
11.1% (2022 est.)
Environmental issues
scarce natural freshwater resources; insufficient drinking water; deterioration of soil; overgrazing; deforestation (for fuel and construction materials); desertification; contamination of air and water in urban regions
Total water withdrawal
municipal
203.4 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
industrial
169.5 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
agricultural
20 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions
total emissions
7.757 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke
930,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids
6.827 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Particulate matter emissions
84 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Total renewable water resources
65.33 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
International environmental agreements
party to
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified
Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation