BADAKHSHAN: A growing gold-mining boom in Afghanistan’s northeastern Badakhshan province is transforming remote mountain communities, but residents say the rapid expansion of mining is destroying farmland, polluting water sources and damaging the environment.

Dozens of excavators now operate around the clock in the Shiwa area, roughly 50 kilometres northeast of provincial capital Faizabad. Thousands of miners have moved into the region to extract gold from mountains that were once used by villagers for farming and grazing livestock.

The mining boom has brought financial opportunities for some local residents, but others say the environmental consequences have been devastating.

Farmer Muhammad Amin, 74, said the river near his home was once deep and clean enough for drinking and washing. Since mining operations began, he said the water has become so polluted that residents can no longer safely use it.

Amin also said vegetation along the riverbanks has disappeared, while dust and wind generated by mining activities have made farming increasingly difficult. He now keeps only around 15 goats, compared with as many as 40 before mining expanded in the area.

The farmer said he agreed to lease his land to a mining company for $20,000, but received only half of the promised amount. He also said the company failed to restore his farmland after mining operations ended.

Taliban Expand Mining Industry

Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities have significantly expanded mining activities since returning to power, seeking to exploit the country’s rich mineral resources and increase government revenues.

Badakhshan’s mines department chief Abdul Mateen Rahimzai said hundreds of companies have been registered in the province, while thousands of people are involved in mining activities, both through mechanised operations and manual labour.

The expansion is part of a broader effort to develop Afghanistan’s mining sector and attract investment into the country’s largely untapped natural resources.

According to the World Bank, hundreds of mining contracts have been signed across Afghanistan since 2021, with the sector recording average annual growth of around 25% to 30%, according to a report published in May.

However, the rapid development has raised concerns about environmental protection and the impact of mining on communities that depend on agriculture, livestock and clean water.

For residents such as Amin, the gold beneath Afghanistan’s mountains may be generating wealth for investors and government authorities, but the loss of fertile land, clean rivers and traditional livelihoods is becoming an increasingly heavy price to pay.