The Unique Terrains Of Afghanistan: Unveiling The Mystery Of Its Red Earth

Afghanistan is home to the Registan Desert, also known as the Sistan Desert, a sandy desert located between Helmand and Kandahar provinces in southeastern Afghanistan. The desert consists of small, red sand hills about 50-100 feet (15-30 m) high, sand-covered plains, and open rocky and clay-covered areas. The red sand hills of the Registan Desert are formed by ancient transverse dunes, which reflect the west-to-east wind and the abundant sand supply in the region.

Red sand hills in the Registan Desert

The Registan Desert, also known as the Rigestan Desert or Sistan Desert, is an arid plateau region located between Helmand and Kandahar provinces in southeastern Afghanistan. The desert is known for its red sand hills, which stand about 50-100 feet (15-30 m) high. These distinctive red sand dunes are formed by the constant west-to-east winds blowing over the flat terrain, resulting in the sand piling up in crescent-shaped mounds. This process, known as barchan dune formation, is characteristic of deserts with consistent wind patterns.

The Registan Desert is a sandy expanse with sparse vegetation, consisting of small red sand hills, sand-covered plains, and open rocky and clay-covered areas. The underlying base of the hills is composed of partly stabilized ancient transverse dunes, indicative of the region's windy and sandy nature. The desert is home to nomadic herders, primarily from the Baluchi and Pashtun communities, who raise sheep, goats, and camels. However, the severe drought of 1998 caused the displacement of approximately 100,000 nomadic people from the Registan region. The United Nations is currently working on strategies to support and resettling the displaced communities and help them return to their traditional livelihood of raising livestock in the Registan Desert.

The Registan Desert is gradually expanding, encroaching on the surrounding agricultural areas. This westward migration of the desert has led to the submersion of up to 100 villages by windblown dust and sand. The movement of sand dunes onto agricultural land has forced residents to abandon their villages and establish new routes as roads become blocked. The United Nations Environment Programme is actively monitoring and reporting on the impact of the desert's expansion, highlighting the loss of stabilizing vegetation due to firewood gathering and overgrazing.

The Registan Desert, with its red sand hills, serves as a striking example of the dynamic nature of desert landscapes and the delicate balance between human activities and the environment. The ongoing efforts to support the affected communities and mitigate the impact of desert expansion showcase the challenges faced in managing arid regions.

Sand dunes encroaching on agricultural land

Sand dune encroachment on agricultural land is a significant issue in Afghanistan, threatening the livelihoods of those who depend on the land for sustenance and income. The Registan Desert, located between Helmand and Kandahar provinces in southeastern Afghanistan, is gradually encroaching on the surrounding agricultural areas. This desert is composed of small, red sand hills and sand-covered plains, with dunes reaching heights of up to 100 feet (30 meters).

The primary cause of this encroachment is the loss of stabilizing vegetation due to firewood gathering and overgrazing. As a result, sand dunes nearly 50 feet (15 meters) high are blocking roads and forcing residents to establish new routes. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has reported that up to 100 villages have been submerged by windblown dust and sand, and the problem is not limited to this region. In the country's northwest, sand dunes are also moving onto agricultural land.

Sand dune encroachment is a global issue that generally occurs in arid to semi-arid regions. Strong winds carry sand particles, forming sandy accumulations on coasts, along watercourses, and on cultivated or uncultivated land. This process, known as sand encroachment, has severe consequences, burying towns, roads, oases, crops, irrigation channels, and dams, leading to socioeconomic damage.

To combat sand dune encroachment, several strategies can be implemented:

• Vegetation Planting: Planting vegetation, such as grasses, shrubs, and bushes, can help stabilize dunes and prevent their erosion. This method has been used in New Zealand to stabilize eroding sand dunes and protect native dune vegetation.
• Fencing: Installing fences can act as a barrier to protect dunes from human activity and aid in trapping and accumulating sand.
• Walkways: Constructing designated walkways can redirect foot traffic and prevent damage to dunes.
• Public Education: Educating the public about the importance of maintaining stable sand dunes is crucial for gaining their support and ensuring the success of restoration efforts.
• Soft Techniques: Focusing on restoring natural dune systems and processes by implementing "soft" techniques that work with the ecosystem rather than against it. This includes ceasing activities that negatively impact sediment supply, such as damming rivers or dredging coastal waters.

Population displacement due to drought

Afghanistan's Registan Desert is an arid plateau region in the country's southeast, characterised by small, red sand hills. A severe drought in 1998 caused the displacement of approximately 100,000 nomadic people from this region. The drought led to the loss of their traditional livelihood of raising livestock, forcing them to move to temporary settlements and IDP camps.

Droughts have serious consequences, including crop failures, famine, and malnutrition, which can lead to acute and chronic health issues such as infectious diseases and malnutrition. They also increase the risk of wildfires and dust storms, further endangering people's health and lives. According to the World Health Organization, as many as 700 million people are at risk of being displaced by drought by 2030.

Drought-induced displacement can result in mass migration, with entire populations forced to leave their homes in search of survival. This, in turn, can lead to increased political tensions and conflict in the regions experiencing influxes of displaced people. It also stretches the resources of host areas, as they struggle to accommodate the basic needs of the displaced populations.

To address the growing challenge of population displacement due to drought, it is crucial to implement proactive drought management strategies and promote sustainable agricultural practices. By improving water conservation and efficiency, we can better prepare for and mitigate the impacts of future dry spells. Additionally, reducing water waste and improving water infrastructure are essential steps to building resilience against drought.

UN's strategies to support affected nomads

The Registan Desert in Afghanistan is home to a sparse population of Baluch and Pashtun nomads. In 1998, a severe drought displaced around 100,000 nomads from the region, who now live in temporary settlements between the Arghandab and Helmand Rivers and Registan. The UN is currently seeking strategies to return the nomads to their traditional livelihood of raising livestock in Registan.

The UN's strategies to support the affected nomads are part of its broader efforts to address the basic human needs of the Afghan people. The UN Country Team adopted the United Nations Strategic Framework for Afghanistan (UNSFA) 2023-2025, which allows for a multi-year framework to address the large-scale basic human needs of the Afghan people and to reduce the medium- and long-term humanitarian caseload. The three complementary and mutually reinforcing joint priorities identified by the UN Country Team are:

• Sustained Essential Services: Ensuring essential services in key sectors such as health, nutrition, education, employment, water, sanitation, hygiene, social protection, and protection that are accessible to all, affordable, and can be delivered free from all forms of discrimination.
• Economic Opportunities and Resilient Livelihoods: Creating an enabling environment that facilitates economic growth and the provision of decent work opportunities, especially for excluded groups such as women.
• Social Cohesion, Inclusion, Gender Equality, Human Rights, and Rule of Law: Strengthening civil society engagement and advocacy for alignment of Afghanistan's normative and legal frameworks with international human rights instruments.

The Registan Desert's westward migration

The Registan Desert, also known as the Sistan Desert, is an arid plateau region in southwestern Afghanistan. It is the largest desert area in the country, covering a vast tract of southern Afghanistan to the borders of Pakistani Baluchistan. The region is bordered by the Helmand River to the west and its tributary, the Arghestan, to the north.

The Registan is a sandy desert consisting of small, red sand hills about 50-100 feet (15-30 m) high, sand-covered plains, and open rocky and clay-covered areas. The sand ridges and dunes alternate with windblown sand-covered planes, devoid of vegetation, and changing in some parts into barren gravel and clay. The underlying base of the hills consists of partly stabilized ancient transverse dunes, reflecting a west-to-east wind and a nearly unlimited sand supply.

The Registan Desert is gradually encroaching on surrounding agricultural areas. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) team reports that "up to 100 villages have been submerged by windblown dust and sand". In the northwest of the country, sand dunes are moving onto agricultural land, with the loss of stabilising vegetation due to firewood gathering and overgrazing. The UNEP team has observed sand dunes nearly 50 feet (15 meters) high blocking roads, forcing residents to establish new routes.

The Registan is sparsely populated by Baluch and Pashtun nomads, who herd sheep, goats, and camels. A severe drought in 1998 caused the displacement of approximately 100,000 nomadic people from the Registan desert region. Most of them now live in temporary settlements between the Arghandab and Helmand Rivers and Registan. The UN is currently seeking strategies to return the nomads to their traditional livelihood of raising livestock in Registan.

The westward migration of the Registan Desert poses a significant threat to biodiversity and human livelihoods in the region. The priority conservation actions for the next decade will include supporting control of desertification, enhancing watershed management, strengthening the implementation and enforcement of laws concerning illegal hunting and trade, and supporting the establishment of protected areas, such as the proposed Registan Desert protected area.

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