Stephen Rodriquez, the representative of the United Nations Development Program in Afghanistan, said that the country is on the verge of a climate disaster, he added that millions of Afghan citizens live under the constant threat of drought, floods, extreme temperatures and land degradation.

Afghan Voice Agency (AVA) - Kabul: Stephen Rodriquez raised this issue in an article published on the website of the United Nations Development Division in Asia and the Pacific.

Stephen Rodriquez wrote in the title of his article: "Afghanistan is on the brink of a climate disaster, we must act now."

He stated that millions of Afghan citizens live with the constant threat of drought, floods, extreme temperatures and land degradation; According to him, the threats govern livelihood, food security and welfare.

"This is why we must act now to support Afghanistan in building climate resilience and ensuring a sustainable future for people and the planet," Rodriquez wrote.

According to him, in 2023, Afghanistan was ranked sixth among countries vulnerable to climate change and the fourth country at risk of natural disasters.

Stephen Rodriquez added that since 1950, Afghanistan has experienced an increase in temperature of 1.8 degrees Celsius, which exceeds the global average.

He wrote: "This temperature change has damaged agriculture and the agricultural value chain - the economic backbone of the country - and has intensified the effects of conflict, poverty and displacement."

This UN official added that the poorest and most vulnerable people are the most affected by the climate change crisis.

According to him, the UN investigation underlines Afghanistan's complex challenges, highlighting drought, floods, land degradation and declining agricultural productivity as strong threats.

According to the United Nations report, more than 80% of Afghanistan's population depends on natural resources for their livelihood. However, only 12% of the country's land is arable and only 6% is currently cultivated.

The head of the United Nations Development Program in Afghanistan has added that climate change threatens to reduce the availability and quality of water, soil and agricultural products, and puts the lives of millions of people at risk of starvation and malnutrition.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Afghanistan (OCHA) says that despite being severely affected by climate change, Afghanistan produces only 0.08% of the world's greenhouse gases.

Meanwhile, the United Nations climate conference known as "Cope 28" continues these days in the city of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, without the presence of the Afghan representative.

Earlier, in an interview with Ava reporter, the officials of the National Environmental Protection Agency of Afghanistan considered the non-attendance of the country's representative in the Dubai climate change meeting as a great injustice and injustice to the people of Afghanistan.