About FAO News Multimedia Main topics Statistics Members Publications

Forest and Landscape Restoration Asia and the Pacific

FLR Afghanistan Knowledge Hub

This section is dedicated to information and knowledge products on FAO-GEF projects in Afghanistan.

Objective: To support integrated, community-based approaches to Sustainable land and Forest Management (SLM/SFM) in Afghanistan for promoting biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation and rangeland productivity. 

FAO GEF-6 interventions includes enhanced capacity of national and sub-national government institutions for SLM/SFM; enhanced capacity of local communities in Badghis, Bamyan, Ghazni, Kunar and Paktya provinces for developing and implementing community-based SLM/SFM plans; improved management of 10,000 ha of High Conservation‑Value Forests (HCVF) and 20,000 ha of other forest types to increase biodiversity conservation and sequester 1,530,069 tCO2e in Badghis, Paktya and Kunar provinces; improved management of 200,000 ha of degraded rangelands in order to reduce land degradation and increase biodiversity conservation and sequester 1,243,550 tCO2e in Badghis, Bamyan and Ghazni provinces. 

    Objective: To combat land degradation and biodiversity loss by promoting sustainable rangeland management and biodiversity conservation in vulnerable landscapes of eastern Afghanistan (Khost, Laghman, Nuristan).

    FAO GEF-7 interventions aim to strengthen government and communities’ capacity to address the environmental problems by promoting sustainable rangeland management and biodiversity conservation in these vulnerable landscapes of eastern Afghanistan; improved management and restoration/rehabilitation of 24,000 ha of degraded landscapes to enhance biodiversity increase productivity and restore/rehabilitate degraded land; enhanced local capacity for processing and value-adding of rangeland/agroforestry products, generating socioeconomic benefits for women and men, to provide incentives for sustainable rangeland management and biodiversity conservation. 

    Resources
    Success stories
    Afforestation, key to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Paktia province

    Key activities and impacts

    • 107,000 walnut trees, 6,100 pine nut trees and 5,000 almond saplings have been planted as an alternative livelihood option across the 687.5 hectares of deforested area.
    • Capacity development workshops are being organized by the project to develop community-based natural resources management.

    FAO supports rural communities in Kunar province to promote sustainable forest management
    FAO supports rural communities in Kunar province to promote sustainable forest management

    Key activities and impacts

    • Provided more than 50,000 walnut saplings for reforestation.
    • Established forest management associations (FMAs) at the community level to raise awareness about sustainable forest management. 
    • Local who used to sell wooden construction materials now teaches other community members about the importance of trees after becoming FMA member, exemplifying change in the community.

    Forest rehabilitation initiatives to promote sustainable management of pistachio trees in Badghis

    Key activities and impacts

    • Afforested 1,700 ha of pistachio forest and distributed 295 kg of Ferula Asafetida ('hing') seeds to be planted on 376 ha of land as an associated intercrop.
    • Provided 1,000 fuel efficient cookstoves and 50 small backyard poultry farms were as alternative livelihood sources.
    • Implemented forest management initiatives such as quarantine, rotational grazing and controlled grazing.

    FAO brings life to degraded rangeland thanks to GEF funding

    Key activities and impacts

    • In Bamyan province, FAO began working with a range of stakeholders to rehabilitate 6710.5 ha of degraded rangeland.
    • Over half a million plant cuttings were cultivated on 140.5 ha of land in Bamyan, 1600 kg of alfalfa seeds on 190 ha of degraded rangeland and 5000 red chief apple saplings were planted on 20 ha of land to improve agroforestry
    • 1800 ha of rangeland free from grazing and another 4560 ha of land prepared for rotational grazing.

      More stories
      Good practices from the project

      Project publications

      Multiple information products and resources are published under the projects which includes infographics, brochures, posters, guidelines and manuals, awareness materials and reports (both in English and Local language).

       

      Save the forest
      Feluga.Afg
      Agroforestry plot
      poster 5
      GEF 6. publication cover
      cd1792ps (1)_page-0001 (1)
      poster 2
      GEF 6. publication cover
      poster 4
      Save forest_Local
      Ferula.Local
      Poster 3
      Community-Based Ecosystem Restoration and Climate Change Adaptation in Afghanistan
      31/03/2024

      This paper describes how local community-based restoration practices have made changes to the natural resources, landscapes, and livelihoods helping communities better adapt to climate change. Community mobilization through Forest Management Associations (FMA) and Rangeland Management Associations (RMA) played a vital role in promoting climate-smart and resilient biodiversity-friendly practices.

      Video
      Restoring Rangelands in Afghanistan
      30/04/2025

      Forest restoration in Afghanistan
      12/03/2025

      Restoring forests in Afghanistan
      13/01/2025

      Tweets
      Related Links