Biodiversity Areas of Interest (Prioritized Zones) within Afghanistan

for

Protected Area System Plan

WILDLIFE CONSERVATION SOCIETY, Afghanistan Program

Habitats in Afghanistan

A Diverse Habitat Country Mountains

Wetlands

Sandy deserts

Scrub & rangeland

Open woodlands

Forests

Also, very rich and diverse wildlife in Afghanistan

Wildlife in Afghanistan

Information Available

Assessing Wildlife & Habitats

• To protect the remaining wildlife and their habitats, we tried to identify where they still exist in

Afghanistan…

• These areas can then be surveyed and possibly proposed as Protected Areas in the future.

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Areas of Interest

Identifying Areas of Interest

High Priority

Lesser Priority

Low PriorityMusk deer

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Snow Leopard(Panthera pardus)Potential Habitat

Assessing Wildlife & Habitats

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Priority Habitats: Semi desert (Vegetated)

Badghyz & Karabil

semi-desert habitat

(Kunduz)

Priority Habitats: Alpine meadow

Hindu Kush alpine

meadow

(Badakhshan, Takhar

& Baghlan)

Priority Habitats: High lands of Northeasr

Karakoram-West

alpine steppe

(Badakhshan)

Proposed protected areas

Band-i-Amir National Park

Pamir Transboundray Park

Habitats and Wildlife Diversity in Afghanistan

A Diverse Habitat and A Diverse Wildlife Country

Mountains

Wetlands

Sandy deserts

Scrub & rangeland

Open woodlands

Forests

Habitats in Afghanistan

Majority of Afghan people (80%)

live directly off the land

• Farming

• Livestock grazing

• Hunting

• Wood collection

Mismanagement? AndDependence on Natural Resources

1977 2002

Basically lack of management system and more than 80% dependence on Natural resources for livelihood in the country and the following side effects

High Priority

Low Priority

Prioritized Zones

Mismanagement? AndDependence on Natural Resources

Prioritized Zones

Thank You

Ayub Alavi

E-mail: ayubalavi83@yahoo.co

Phone: +93 (0)77 6122 691

Thanks to: Mr. Haqiq Rahmani for GIS techniques

WILDLIFE CONSERVATION SOCIETY, Afghanistan Program