Afghanistan's gold rush upends lives, landscapes in northeastern Badakhshan province
In Afghanistan’s northeastern Badakhshan province, dozens of excavators operate day and night to extract gold from the mountains where villagers and their livestock once roamed. Thousands of miners are deployed across the Shiwa area, about 50 kilometres northeast of the provincial capital Faizabad, extracting gold for investors nationwide. Some residents in the area have profited from the gold…
In Afghanistan’s northeastern Badakhshan province, a gold rush has dramatically transformed lives and landscapes. Dozens of excavators work around the clock, extracting gold from mountains where villagers once grazed livestock. Thousands of miners, drawn by the prospect of prosperity, toil in the Shiwa region, around 50 kilometers northeast of the provincial capital Faizabad.
Some, like farmer Muhammad Amin, have reaped benefits, only to suffer later as the river water becomes undrinkable and farming becomes impossible. The Afghan Taliban, now in power, have expanded the mining sector to tap into Afghanistan’s vast mineral resources, registering nearly 650 to 700 companies and employing thousands. The World Bank reports a 25 to 30 percent annual growth in mining contracts since 2021.
While mining offers jobs in a country where opportunities are scarce, it also leaves behind a trail of destruction. The Afghan mining sector has seen accelerated growth, with gold mining in Badakhshan benefiting both local and foreign companies. Despite regulations, corruption remains a concern, and the government aims to ensure the mineral resources are used for the benefit of the people.
Written by urgent.news from Dawn's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
