Afghanistan Should tap its Natural Resources to Become Self-Reliant

A country plagued by wars, corruption, failed leadership, poverty, illiteracy, political instability and one of the worst places for women—that’s the international impression of Afghanistan especially with the extremely radical Taliban in power.

Even the preceding two decades, when the country experimented with democracy and its people’s hopes were buoyed by international political and financial support, Afghanistan’s impression had hardly changed.

Being landlocked, strategically connected and acutely aid-dependent, Afghanistan has become vulnerable to playing into the hands of foreign powers vying for influence and interests in the region.

Does that sum up what the country is all about—a failed state and a hopeless cause? No. It depends on the will of its people and the Taliban to look beyond controlling the lives of Afghans, particularly what women can wear, and actively engage everyone, irrespective of their sex, in building a sustainable and self-reliant nation.

In my 35-year-long association with the country, I have concluded that Afghanistan does not need financial aid; instead, it should tap its vast natural resources to become self-reliant. The country merely needs creativity, honest commitment, education for its youth, a leadership that is open to new ways of tackling poverty, and building trust both within the country and in the international community. The country needs to revive its age-old culture of friendship and hospitality, giving protection to guests and erase the memories of decades of violence and conflict.

Afghanistan is much more than its portrayal by the international media. It is a country of rugged mountains, gushing pristine springs, rivers, streams, lush valleys and bare dusty expanses. Apples, peaches, pears, pomegranates, gigantic melons and watermelons and grapes flood the gardens, markets and streets in summer.

With its picturesque rural culture and life, local cuisines, colourful handicrafts and dry fruits and nuts (which it is best known for), Afghanistan has an untapped potential for adopting ecotourism as an alternative to financial dependence, reduce unemployment and stop the mass exodus of youths.

Seasonal festivals, such as the Mele Gul Narinj in the orange bloom scented gardens of Nangarhar and Mele Gule-Lala in the fields and hillsides covered with wild tulips in the north, and trekking and mountain climbing facilities can be developed with minimal investment in infrastructure. All the country needs is to ensure security for its citizens and visitors, provide basic facilities—solar power, good and safe roads—and replace the Kalashnikovs with a welcoming smile.

A properly planned ecotourism industry can provide unlimited local employment to rural women and men, a market for local food products and crafts, and interesting experiences to Afghan and foreign travelers in sync with the environment and local culture. Affordable homestays and large-scale camping could be organised for visitors that could become major attractions for low-budget tourists, anthropologists, researchers and nature students.

The potential is limitless. All Afghanistan needs is the will to revive good cultural practices, bury its violent past and work towards a dignified, inclusive strategy for self-reliance. It need not extend its hands for financial aid but to work together as a nation inclusive of all genders and ages and reclaim its pride.

The writer is of Indian origin, who moved to Afghanistan after marriage in the mid-80s and is waiting to return to India.