Afghanistan

BACKGROUND

Afghanistan is a landlocked nation at the crossroads of the Central, South, and West Asian regions. Its topography is primarily marked by rugged terrain, including the Hindu Kush mountain range, and arid steppe and desert regions at lower latitudes. It has a continental climate with temperatures varying widely across the country.  Despite numerous reservoirs and rivers, large sections of the country are dry and there is a significant risk of drought. Afghanistan also faces natural hazard risks associated with flooding, landslides, mudslides, and heatwaves. Data availability and mapping of hazards are limited and unreliable, though there is enough evidence to suggest that flooding along causes at least 100 deaths per year. 
Afghanistan is one of the most vulnerable nations in the world to the impacts of climate change, primarily due to a combination of political, geographic, and social factors.

INFORM RISK INDEX (2022)    

Hazard and exposure: 8.9  |  Vulnerability: 8.4  |  Lack of coping capacity: 7.3  |  Total: 8.2 (very high)  |  Rank: 3

HAZARDS COVERED BY ANTICIPATION    

Drought | Conflict | Population Movement

EXPERIENCE ON ANTICIPATION 

• Anticipatory actions to be undertaken by FAO include crop yield and plant protection measures, agricultural inputs, Unconditional Cash Transfers (UCT), Cash For Work (CFW), livestock protection packages, and anticipatory animal health care.