The Department of Environmental Science:

Afghanistan faces numerous environmental challenges such as biodiversity decline, climate change impacts, deforestation, desertification, food insecurity, overgrazing, rapid population growth in urban areas, resource depletion, soil degradation, and water scarcity.

For example, Afghanistan’s water resources are threatened by several natural and socio-economic drivers. In the naturally arid country, the water supply for human activities is carried by rivers, of which most are fed by rainfall and meltwater from the Hindu Kush mountains. Significantly the vast majority of the glaciers in these mountains are in recession. In addition, water stress is linked to dramatic land use changes. Over 80% of the country’s population is engaged in water-intensive agriculture and/or livestock-raising; Afghanistan’s rangelands provide forage to nearly 35 million animals. Most rural and urban households have no access to safe drinking water. Water contamination in urban environments is mainly a result of unsafe or even lacking sanitary facilities and the unmanaged disposal of industrial wastes. Many cities still have no proper landfills to prevent groundwater contamination or systems in place to mitigate high rates of air pollution from burning waste. Air pollution as a result of urbanization and unregulated industrial activities has become a serious driver for public health issues, mainly respiratory problems. The ongoing exploitation of forests threatens Afghanistan’s remaining forested base: while in ancient times large parts of the country were covered by forests, today they cover only 2% of the land area. Deforestation results from fuel use, illegal logging, and urban development and in Afghanistan, unanticipated environmental problems area associated with a changing climate.  For example, increasing temperatures and reduced precipitation already affect biodiversity, glacier and wetland extents, crop yields, livestock production, hydro-energy generation potential, and urban population health.

ESD focus to educate students in environmental science and to support future scientists in ways that will allow them to effectively serve their country by protecting and conserving its environment and by helping to direct Afghanistan towards a sustainable future.

Vision:

Department of Environmental Sciences intends to be one of the best and most effective departments in the country through provision of services in terms of quality education, teaching, and facilitating research.

Mission:

To develop the understanding of fundamentals of Environmental Sciences essential for environmental Sciences graduates and integration of research in Environmental Sciences to make Afghanistan scientifically and technologically self-sustained.

Objective:

     The main goal of the Department of Environmental Sciences of universities is to participate consciously in the field of education of trained and professional staff, to improve the quality of teaching, to improve the scientific and professional capacities of the members of the scientific staff and students, to provide the conditions for the growth and development of environmental sciences with new applications. The most contemporary scientific and practical methods are in order to grow the economic base, sustainable development and elevation of the country in the region, with the following sub-objectives.

1. Analyzing and transferring knowledge and skills in the field of environmental Sciences to students.
2. Providing the Environmental economic needs of the society and the labor market by training scientific and professional staff at the national level.
3. Improving capabilities in order to participate and implement scientific research in order to strengthen the process of growth and development of the country's environmental economic fields.
4. Improving and strengthening the status of the department Environmental Sciences with the active participation of professors and students in public affairs and civil society.
5. Improving the quality of teaching and providing educational services at the Environmental Science department level.

List of lecturers:

The Environmental Science Department has seven academic staff, of which two members of the Department's academic staff are studying abroad for doctoral degrees.

1. Assistant Professor Mohammad Dawood Shirzad 
2. Assistant Professor Wafurahman Wafa- PHD student in Malaysia
3. Assistant Professor Abdul Tawab Balakarzai- PHD student in Canada
4. Assistant Professor Obaidullah Salehie
5. Junior Teaching Assistant Karima Wardak
6. Junior Teaching Assistant Kawoon Sahak
7. Junior Teaching Assistant Syeed Kazim Hashmi
8. Junior Teaching Assistant Fazalrahman Afghan

Curriculum:

The curriculum of the Environmental Science Department has been prepared during eight semesters, subjects and 162 credits