Badakhshan Province Research Articles

Current Status of Marco Polo Sheep (Ovis ammon polii) in the Pamir Mountains of Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan

Current Status of Marco Polo Sheep (Ovis ammon polii) in the Pamir Mountains of Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan

Climate Change-Induced Geoenvironmental Challenges in Faizabad City: A Case Study from 2010-2020

The issue of environmental change is a pressing concern in the world today, impacting various aspects of human life. This study aims to assess environmental changes in Faizabad City, located in the Badakhshan Province at the northeast of Afghanistan. The study utilizes a combination of comperhinsive reviws, field observations, and laboratory analysis. Specifically, the study focuses on climate change and its environmental impact on Faizabad City, affecting both human and non-human elements of the ecosystem. By analyzing data from 2010 to 2020, including rainfall patterns, population growth, and temperature fluctuations from reputable local and global meteorological sources, the study highlights significant trends in environmental parameters. The findings indicate a population growth rate exceeding 2% and a temperature increase of 0.5°C during the specified timeframe, alongside fluctuating precipitation levels characterized by both decreases and increases. Consequently, the study concludes that Faizabad City experiences significant warming trends and excessive population growth, posing challenges to planned urban development and geomorphic integrity, thereby compromising its aesthetic appeal.

Investigation of Fish Species Diversity in the Shuhada River in Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan

Investigation of Fish Species Diversity in the Shuhada River in Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan

Response of maize (Zea mays L.) to the soil application of phosphorus fertilizer

To investigate the effect of different phosphorus levels on the yield and yield components of maize crop, the experiment was carried out in the Badakhshan province of Afghanistan and was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications having a plot size of 2 m x 3 m (6m2) with row-to-row distance of 0.75 m and plant to plant distance of 0.25 m. The levels of phosphorus were 0 (control), 40, 80, 120, 160, 200, 240 kg P2O5 ha-1. Results indicated that the different levels of phosphorus significantly affected maize plant height, leaf area index, No. of cobs/plant, Cob length (cm), No. of Grains/cob, No. of Rows/cob, 100 grain weight (gr), seed yield and Stover yield. Application of Phosphorus at the rate of 160 kg ha-1 resulted in maximum plant height (181.02 cm), leaf area index (2.30), No. of cobs/plant (2.20), Cob length (18.63cm), No. of Grains/cob (347.33), No. of Rows/cob (17.67), 100-grain weight (20.33gr), seed yield 4882 kg/ha and Stover yield 6943 kg/ha as compared to the minimum values in control plots. It is concluded that Phosphorus should applied at the rate of 160 kg P2O5 ha-1 for the best grain yield in the agro-ecological conditions in Badakhshan province.

Enhancing Internet Safety and Cybersecurity Awareness among Secondary and High School Students in Afghanistan: A Case Study of Badakhshan Province

In the contemporary digital era, the pervasive influence of the internet underscores the imperative to equip the youth with skills for secure online navigation. While the internet presents vast opportunities, it simultaneously exposes young learners to potential risks, encompassing cyberbullying, privacy breaches, and security threats. This research meticulously examines the impact of cybersecurity education on the digital literacy and online safety of students, emphasizing the youth in Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan. It advocates for the cultivation of digital literacy and online safety principles across diverse age groups and fields of study. Furthermore, the study underscores the paramount importance of instilling awareness regarding responsible digital practices related to privacy, security, and copyright, with a compelling call for active parental involvement. To execute this research, a robust stratified random sampling technique was deployed, meticulously selecting 170 male and female students from various grade levels in both public and private schools within Badakhshan province, Afghanistan. Data collection was facilitated through a comprehensive survey questionnaire featuring 16 Likert scale-based questions. Subsequently, the gathered data underwent rigorous statistical analysis, encompassing descriptive and inferential statistics, regression analysis, and qualitative content analysis. This research yields invaluable insights into the internet behavior and cybersecurity awareness of the youth in Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan. It makes essential contributions to comprehending their online activities and digital literacy. The overarching goal is to empower students to navigate the digital landscape with confidence and ethical discernment by integrating cybersecurity education into school curricula. This approach not only safeguards their privacy and security but also optimizes the internet’s full potential. The study significantly contributes to fostering a safer, more responsible, and knowledge-driven society.

Landslide susceptibility mapping in Badakhshan province, Afghanistan: a comparative study of machine learning algorithms

This research aimed to assess landslide susceptibility in the Badakhshan province of Afghanistan, an area highly susceptible to landslides due to its complex topography and geological conditions. Three distinct machine learning (ML) models, namely the Generalized Linear Model (GLM), Maximum Entropy (ME), and Random Forest (RF), were employed to identify the key contributing factors to landslide occurrences in the study region. The dataset used in this study consisted of landslide conditioning factors and a landslide inventory map. The conditioning factors encompassed lithology, soil type, plane curvature, profile curvature, elevation, slope, aspect, precipitation, land use/land cover (LULC), distance to fault, river, road, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Topographic Wetness Index (TWI), Terrain Ruggedness Index (TRI), and Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI). The landslide inventory map contained 177 landslide locations and 65 non-landslide points obtained from Google Earth. Each machine learning (ML) model was trained and implemented independently using 70% of the training data, with the results validated against the remaining 30% of the landslide inventory dataset. Ensemble results from GLM, ME, and RF were obtained using the median approach. All three models exhibited consistent performance and identified similar landslide-prone areas. Among the various factors studied, proximity to rivers emerged as the most influential factor contributing to landslides, followed by the distance to roads and slope gradient. The study revealed that the districts of Argo and Yaftali Sufla, near Faizabad, were identified as particularly susceptible to landslides, especially in the vicinity of large valleys. Out of the total study area of 3086.4 km2, ∼2162 km2 were deemed relatively safe from landslides, while 149 km2 (representing 4.8% of the study region) were identified as highly susceptible to landslides. Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve (AUC) and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) statistics were used to evaluate the performance of the machine learning (ML) algorithms. The RF and ME models demonstrated the highest performance levels. This research contributes to our understanding of landslide susceptibility in Badakhshan province and can aid in implementing effective landslide risk management strategies in the region.

MEDICINAL PLAHTS OF BADAKHSHAN PROVINCE OF AFGHANISTAN

For hundreds of centuries, humans have been trying to get rid of vital problems such as nutrition. They were always fighting for the provision of clothes for the continuation of life and especially for the treatment of health diseases that afflicted them. One of the most important ways of their struggle against all the problems of life, especially deadly diseases, was to turn to plants, especially medical and medicinal plants. The Chinese and Japanese believe that their medical information based on herbal medicine existed hundreds of centuries ago, and the historical documents available to them show that three thousand years before Christ, large gardens and farms were built in that country to cultivate medicinal plants. However, every year, hundreds of hectares of agricultural land in Western and American countries are allocated for the cultivation of medicinal plants, so that in the year (1998) AD, 65,000 hectares of agricultural land in America were allocated only for the cultivation of mint. This indicates the value and position of medicinal and medicinal plants in human life. It is mentionable that plants, in addition to their medical and medicinal values, were also used as a suitable source of food for humans in ancient times, and humans benefit significantly from the existence of plants on the earth. Badakhshan Province of Afghanistan, with its special geographical area such as high mountains and useful water resources, has been a suitable environment for the growth and development of all kinds of plants, especially medical and medicinal plants. This subject has encouraged researchers to research and work for knowing these valuable plants. Key words: Medicinal plants, value of medicinal plants, usages, protection methods, medicinal plant in Badakhshan.

Medicinal Plant Diversity and Utilization in the Argo District of Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan

Medicinal Plant Diversity and Utilization in the Argo District of Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan

Tourist Attractions in Badakhshan Province, Its Role in the Local Economy

Tourism is interpreted as an industry today, because the benefits of the flow of money from tourism are not just a few jobs and involve most of the economic sector, hence it is known as an industry. Obviously, the tourism industry ultimately provides products of the type of tourist services for world consumption, which is also called smokeless industry. Therefore, the attitude towards tourism should be a productive and industrial attitude, not a service and traditional one. In many countries, the world of tourism has acted as one of the key and main sectors for economic development and progress; The economic effects of tourism development are multiple and its most important effect is to create employment and income and help reduce unemployment and earn income and create jobs.
 Badkhshan province in the northeast of Afghanistan, which has high mountains, deep valleys, high levels, raging waters, green valleys, lakes, waterfalls, geopolitical location and a common border with the civilized countries of China, Tajikistan and Pakistan and the Silk Road crossing. It has a good position in the region. This province with abundant untouched natural resources, pleasant and clean climate free form pollution and also has natural products and products and the geographical location of commerce that these characteristics and these characteristics can present a better image in the field of marketing. As a suitable and favorable province, it should be favorable for domestic and foreign investments and trade.

Landslides Susceptibility Mapping Using Frequency Ratio Model and GIS in Central Parts of Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan

Landslides Susceptibility Mapping Using Frequency Ratio Model and GIS in Central Parts of Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan

Future Impact on Pakistan Economy in the 21st Century Shifting of Global Power

The Wakhan Corridor is surrounded by the concerned region of Mekandar. The access strip is located at the intersection of four countries, the mainland of Afghanistan, Tajikistan, China and Pakistan. The Wakhan Corridor has been the mainly vital intersection point of the Silk Road since its inception. This corridor has long been used by Europeans and Chinese as a trade path to reach the Indian plains and sea lines of communication in the Indian Ocean via the coasts of the Arabian Sea. At the joint of China, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Tajikistan lies a small extend of land in Afghanistan's Badakhshan province known as the Wakhan Corridor. Being a passage of the old Silk Road, this corridor is of great historical value. It still has a lot of room for increase in terms of tourism and regional connectivity. Wakhan region is considered relatively peaceful as there is no law-and-order problem. Construction of the road through Wakhan will improve regional trade and business, especially for Pakistan, Central Asia and Afghanistan. It could provide the fastest trade route for China to access Afghanistan and Pakistan for access to Central Asia. In this context, the research explores the possibilities of revitalizing the Wakhan Corridor through the construction of road infrastructure. This paper highlights the economical importance of the Wakhan Corridor in the light of the emerging regional scenario. Both ISIS and the Pakistani Taliban are essential to disrupt the corridor and create security challenges for development. To benefit from future trade improvements along the Wakhan Corridor, the three countries (Pakistan, China and Tajikistan) should focus on the security and political situation.

Music in Morning Ceremonies Among The Ismaili Muslims in Tajik Badakhshan

The paper discusses musical performances used at mourning ceremonies by the Ismaili Muslims in the mountainous Gorno–Badakhshan province of Tajikistan (hereafter GBAO). The Shī’a Ismailis make up most of the population in this province, compared to a majority Sunni Muslim population in the rest of Tajikistan. These Ismailis have lived in this remote mountainous province for centuries and therefore have evolved their own unique culture that is different from the rest of Tajikistan.  The objective of the article is to contextualize the mediatory role of unique forms of local musical performances and their integration in the mourning ceremonies in GBAO.  The data for the research presented here was obtained partly through a field study, involving tours of certain major areas in Wakhan and other regions of the GBAO to carry out qualitative research interviews, either in private with individuals, or at social or religious events. The interviews were not in a standardized format with one set of questions but were open-ended interviews where the interviewees could recount their knowledge on the subject of death, their own experiences of attending funerals, and provide personal anecdotes. Among the interviewees were local religious leaders (khalīfas), musical performers, lamenters and elders of the community who render important services at mourning ceremonies, and members of the community who had personal experiences of family bereavements to narrate. The data garnered from these extensive interviews, and other published sources were used to compile and contextualize the musical performances at mourning ceremonies in this region of Tajikistan. 

Pamiri Ethnic Nationalism in Tajikistan; a Rising Threat against Future of Gilgit-Baltistan and Pak-China Economic Corridor (CPEC)

Pamiri ethnic nationalism in Post-Soviet Tajikistan has led to short-lived sovereign status in Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region from 1992 to 1997 that has now been transmitted in the remaining parts of entire Badakhshan Region / Pamir Mountain Range; covering Badakhshan Province of Afghanistan, Tashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County of Tajikistan, and, Chitral District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province and Gilgit-Baltistan Autonomous Region of Pakistan. As Pak-China Economic Corridor is crossing through Gilgit-Baltistan, anti-Pakistan elements can not only trigger Pamiri ethnic nationalism on the basis of former historical sovereignty, separate linguistic identity, or unique sectarian believes. This study discusses the ways of the Pamiri ethnic community in the entire Badakhshan Region that has little been inspiring from the ethnonational separatism in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region of Tajikistan. Similarly, anti-Pakistan and anti-CPEC elements are also analyzed in this study that is trying to disturb the socio-political and religious environment of Gilgit-Baltistan to disrupt CPEC. Future assessments of the region after completing CPEC, historical background and economic worth of the Gilgit-Baltistan, and, developmental opportunities for Afghanistan and Tajikistan are also observed in this study.

Phonology of Molla Yâr Muhammed Nemengâni and Tuhfetü-l Abidin

As a master degree graduate thesis, we selected the Tuhfetüʾl-ʾÂbidîn. It is a collection of the poems written by Molla Yur Muhammed Nemengânî who was born in the 19th century in Nemengân. There are many poems from different poets in the book which consisting of 188 pages, but 108 pages belongs to our poet Nemengânî and this study focused on these pages. in the poems, poet was known by his surname, Muhlis. The text was found in Hoyham village in Badakhshan province, which is located on the borders of Afghanistan. The texts of the book have been transcribed and translated into Latin alphabets. Considering language characteristics, writing characteristics, phonetic features and shape characteristics, the texts were studied.

Mikro-Hidro Santrallerin Kırsal Bölge Sakinlerinin Refahını Arttırmadaki Etkisi: Afganistan Badakhshan İli Örneği

Afghanistan, starting from 2003 has implemented the National Solidarity Program (NSP) with financial assistance from the international community and focused on delivering basic services to all citizens. The bulk of the program was electrification, countryside roads, drinking water, schools and etc. In Badakhshan province, 2713 projects have been implemented by NSP, of which 443 of them were the micro-hydro power plants. In this research, a dataset of 1070 samples has been gathered from 6 districts. The data analysis was conducted with the Propensity Score Matching method to find the impact of the project on the welfare of rural residents. For detection of welfare the TV, computer, and telephone possession were used as proxies. The results indicate that the treatment group has more TVs, computers, and telephones than control groups. Precisely the treatment group has 23.9% more TVs, 7.6% more computers, and 37.6% more telephones than their counterparts.

Entangled lives: drug assemblages in Afghanistan’s Badakhshan

This article, focussing on Badakhshan province in north-east Afghanistan, explores the lifeworld of drugs and their entangled connections with people, places and things. It follows the journeys of drugs from the farmers’ fields, through their various stages of transportation, storage and transformation, until they arrive at the border with Tajikistan. The paper draws upon the notion of a ‘drugs assemblage’ – the interweaving of plants, institutions, actors, processes and resources through which drug journeys are managed and facilitated. Drugs are embedded in a web of social relations that connect farmers, labourers, shopkeepers, smugglers, brokers and border guards. Opium is central to the production of a Braudelian geography, fragmented yet connected, of trading routes, enclaves, choke points and border crossings. Drugs have played a role in transforming the ‘disturbed’ landscape of this remote borderland region, into a centre of innovation and improvisation, in which alienation and precarity co-exist alongside accumulation and the pursuit of ‘freedom’.

Technical, economic, carbon footprint assessment, and prioritizing stations for hydrogen production using wind energy: A case study

While Afghanistan's power sector is almost completely dependent on fossil fuels, it still cannot meet the rising power demand of this country. Deploying a combination of renewable energy systems with hydrogen production as the excess energy storage mechanism could be a sustainable long-term approach for addressing some of the energy problems of Afghanistan. Since Badakhshan is known to have a higher average wind speed than any other Afghan province, in this study, a technical, economic, and carbon footprint assessment was performed to investigate the potential for wind power and hydrogen production in this province. Wind data of four stations in Badakhshan were used for technical assessment for three heights of 10, 30, and 40 m using the Weibull probability distribution function. This technical assessment was expanded by estimating the energy pattern factor, probability of wind speeds greater than 5 m/s, wind power density, annual power output, and annual hydrogen output. This was followed by an economic assessment, which involved computing the Leveled Cost Of Energy (LCOE), the Leveled Cost Of Hydrogen (LCOH), and the payback period, and finally an carbon footprint assessment, which involved estimating the consequent CO2 reduction in two scenarios. The assessments were performed for 22 turbines manufactured by reputable companies with capacities ranging from 600 kW to 2.3 MW. The results showed that the entire Badakhshan province, and especially Qal'eh-ye Panjeh and Fayazabad, have excellent potentials in terms of wind energy that can be harvested for wind power and hydrogen production. Also, wind power generation in this province will be highly cost-effective, as the produced electricity will cost about one-third of the price of electricity supplied by the government. For better evaluation, the GIS maps of wind power and hydrogen outputs were prepared using the IDW method. These maps showed that the eastern and northeastern parts of Badakhshan province have higher wind power-hydrogen production potentials. The results of ranking the stations with SWARA-EDAS hybrid MCDM methods showed that Qal'eh-ye Panjeh station was the best location to produce hydrogen from wind energy.

The Impact of Market Outlets Choice on Beekeepers’ Income in Rural Poor: A Case Study of Badakhshan Province

This research carried out to uncover the effect of beekeeping on the income of rural poor and to which extent that market outlet choice affects the income of beekeepers. The findings of Multinomial Logit regression, from 129 questionnaires of 4 districts indicate that there is no relationship between market outlet choice and income of beekeepers. The income of beekeepers is mostly affected by their family size and working experience. But the factors affecting to choose the home selling market outlet is very different from those of three other channels. In order to promote the income of beekeepers, it’s recommended that the government and other involved NGOs work on arrangements on wholesale opportunities for beekeepers. Because over 102 out of 129 samples have indicated that their products aren’t sold out on time. It means that there is a huge opportunity of filling the gap of honey demand in Afghanistan by promoting the links between producers and buyers.

Gendered energy relations at the crossroads of Asia: Electrification, empowerment, and mixed outcomes in northeastern Afghanistan

This study analyzes the socio-economic impact of electrification with special attention to gender dynamics using evidence from the Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan. We employ survey data and stakeholder interviews to evaluate changes in education, health and economic opportunities. We find that women in grid-supplied communities are on average 27% more literate and complete more years of schooling compared to women in off-grid communities. Households in grid-supplied communities report a lower incidence of diseases, lower child mortality, improved access to ante-natal care, and higher vaccination rates, but they also endure a higher incidence of respiratory diseases due to cooking indoors. We show that switching from off-grid to grid-supplied electricity would allow households to power either 4,200 hours of LED light, 1,340 hours of TV, or 55 hours of hotplate usage at no additional cost. Access to grid-supplied electricity also enables economic opportunities which is reflected in the average higher income by a factor of 5.9 compared to households using solar panels. Moreover, households with grid-electricity save time on the collection of biomass fuel, e.g. for households using firewood, the daily time saving potential amounts to 5 hours. Consequently, men spend on average more time with their children and are more likely to provide help with household tasks that are typically in the female domain in grid-supplied households. Nonetheless, we find that access to grid electricity has mixed effects on education, health and economic outcomes, especially with regards to gender dynamics. Therefore, we challenge the assumption of a linear relationship between electrification and associated impacts, and stress that structural, institutional and power dynamics exert greater influence on education, health and economic outcomes than access to electricity alone.

Entomophilic nematodes, Diploscapter coronatus and Oscheius tipulae from Afghanistan.

Several soil samples from different habitats in Badakhshan province of Afghanistan were collected to isolate and characterize bacteria feeding nematodes. The Galleria mellonella-baiting method was used for the isolation of the Afghan insect-associated nematodes. The nematodes were studied using morphological and morphometric data. The Oscheius specimen was characterized by a longer body (630-820 µm) and shorter pharynx (125-145 µm), whereas other morphological characters were not unusual. The Diploscapter specimen had an annulated cuticle, with lip region width 1.5 times shorter than the stoma, and had separated pharyngeal corpus from the isthmus and vulva located in the middle of the body. The molecular data were derived using three loci; 18S, 28S (D2/D3 segment), and ITS rRNA region, which were utilized to measure the genetic distance. The phylogenetic analysis was conducted to reconstruct the relationship tree. Both morphological and molecular approaches confirmed the identity of nematode isolates as Oscheius tipulae and Diploscapter coronatus. This is the first report of insect-associated nematodes from the soil of Afghanistan. Both species were capable of infecting and killing G. mellonella larvae in less than 96 h.