Band-e Amir National Park
Band-e Amir National Park | |
---|---|
Bamyan | |
Coordinates | 34°50′23″N 67°13′51″E / 34.83972°N 67.23083°E |
Area | 606.16 km2 (234.04 sq mi) |
Established | May 22, 2009[2] |
Visitors | 169,900[2] (in 2018) |
Band-e Amir National Park (
According to ([3]) who conducted an interview with Mustafa Zahir; who was the head of Afghanistan's environmentalist protection agency at the time,
before Band-e Amir was established as Afghanistan's first national park, there were plans to utilize the area for a hydrodam project. This potential threat to the natural beauty and ecological significance of the region prompted
Abdullah Barat, a Hazara activist hailing from the Shaidan Valley and the head of the sub-office of Future Generations in Bamyan, to take action [4](https://cdn.future.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/2008-05-toward-a-better-future-in-afghanistan-an-investigation-into-the-central-council-of-shahidan-in-bamyan-province-occasional-paper.pdf)). Recognizing the importance of preserving this pristine landscape.
According to Flora MacDonald, the former Foreign Minister of Canada who was working in Afghanistan at the time, in her book [5](https://www.mqup.ca/flora--products-9780228018421.php)" Abdullah Barat embarked on a campaign to sway the Environmental Protection Agency and Mustafa Zahir, the grandson of Afghanistan's last king, towards an alternative vision [6]).
Through persistent advocacy and impassioned pleas, Abdullah Barat succeeded in convincing the royal figures of Afghanistan to reconsider the fate of Band-e Amir. He highlighted the invaluable ecological and cultural heritage of the region, emphasizing its potential as a national treasure rather than a mere resource for development. Barat's efforts ultimately led to a pivotal decision: the designation of Band-e Amir as Afghanistan's inaugural national park. This transformational shift in policy not only safeguarded the natural wonders of Band-e Amir but also set a precedent for conservation efforts across Afghanistan. Thanks to Abdullah Barat's determination and advocacy, future generations can now cherish and benefit from the ecological riches preserved within the boundaries of Afghanistan's first national park.
According to the
History
The name Band-e Amir literally means "
In her 1970 guide to Afghanistan, historian
In 2004, Band-e Amir was submitted for recognition as a
In April 2009, Band-e Amir was finally declared Afghanistan's first national park.[13] By 2023, the number of local and foreign tourists visiting the Band-e Amir National Park was over 100,000.[14][8][2] The area is monitored by park rangers.[15]
Geography
Band-e Amir is situated at approximately 75 km (47 mi) to the north-west of the ancient city of
- Band-e Gholaman (Lake of the slaves)
- Band-e Qambar (Lake of Caliph Ali's slave)
- Band-e Haibat (Lake of grandiose)
- Band-e Panir (Lake of cheese)
- Band-e Pudina (Lake of wild mint)
- Band-e Zulfiqar (Lake of the sword of Ali)
The white travertine dams created by fault lines, which are prevalent in the Band-e Amir Valley, form the barriers between the lakes. Band-e Haibat is the biggest and the deepest of the six, with an average depth of approximately 150 metres, as estimated by the Provincial Reconstruction Team diving team from New Zealand. Another comparable lake is Band-e Azhdahar (The Dragon), located a few kilometres southeast of the town of Bamyan, which has also been created as a result of carbon dioxide rich water oozing out of the faults underground and depositing calcium carbonate precipitate to form the travertine walls of Band-e Amir.
Climate
High in the Hindu Kush at approximately 2,900 m (9,500 ft) above sea level,[citation needed] the national park has a subarctic climate (Dsc) closely bordering on a warm-summer humid continental climate (Dsb). The climate is extremely severe and the lakes freezing over in winter.[17]
Climate data for Band-e Amir National Park | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Daily mean °C (°F) | −14.2 (6.4) |
−11.5 (11.3) |
−4.9 (23.2) |
2.3 (36.1) |
7.3 (45.1) |
13.0 (55.4) |
14.8 (58.6) |
13.8 (56.8) |
9.3 (48.7) |
2.9 (37.2) |
−3.2 (26.2) |
−9.9 (14.2) |
1.6 (34.9) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 61.9 (2.44) |
82.3 (3.24) |
86.9 (3.42) |
77.5 (3.05) |
45.4 (1.79) |
6.3 (0.25) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
19.4 (0.76) |
29.4 (1.16) |
44.2 (1.74) |
453.3 (17.85) |
Source 1: RedPlanet.travel[18] | |||||||||||||
Source 2: ClimateCharts.net[19](Precipitation) |
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The Band-e Amir Lake
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One of the Lakes at Band-e Amir Area
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Another Lake at Band-e Amir Area
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Band-e Panir
Current status
After the formal establishment of the park in 2009, a park office with a park warden and a group of rangers was installed to manage the conservation and protection of park natural resources. The WCS is the only non-government organization with an office in the park. The WCS supports park staff and works with the local community to promote conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Ecotourism is expected to decrease local economic dependency on the park's natural resources. Tourists visit Band-e-Amir primarily in the summer months when the weather is warm. A poor local economy and limited outside investment have hampered efforts to attract winter tourism.
The local people in Band-e-Amir National Park rely heavily on the park's natural resources for their livelihood. Grazing of livestock, collection of shrubs for fuel and winter fodder and rain-fed farming is still widely practiced within the park boundary. Although the illegal hunting of birds and a few mammals living in the park is formally prohibited by the park office, there is no current data to evaluate the status of wildlife and biodiversity.
In August 2023, the Taliban banned women from entering the park, with the acting Minister of Virtue and Vice, Mohammad Khaled Hanafi, alleging that women had not been observing hijab inside the park.[20]
Important bird area
A 41,000 ha (100,000 acres) tract overlapping the national park has been designated an
See also
- List of dams and reservoirs in Afghanistan
- Natural areas of Afghanistan
- Wakhan National Park
- Nuristan National Park
References
- ^ Band-i-Amir National Park Protected Planet
- ^ a b c d e f g Gentile, Jay (25 June 2019). "How Band-e-Amir National Park became Afghanistan's oasis of peace". CNN. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
- ^ CBC
- ^ ((Future Generations, "Toward a Better Future in Afghanistan
- ^ "Flora,
- ^ (Mustafa Zahir, "Afghanistan: Identity, Society and Politics Since 1980"
- ^ "Band-e-Amir National Park, Afghanistan". earthobservatory.nasa.gov. 25 April 2009. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
- ^ a b c "Bamyan Launches Development Projects to Elevate Tourism Industry". TOLOnews. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
- ^ Sarwan, Asmatullah; Siddique, Abubakar (16 November 2018). "Why Are The Taliban Attacking Hazaras In Afghanistan". RFE/RL. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
- ^ "Band-e-Amir: Afghanistan's first national park". The Guardian. 16 September 2009. Retrieved 16 September 2009.
- ^ "Remains of the day: Bamiyan valley, Afghanistan". Mint. 22 August 2015. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
- ^ "Band-E-Amir". UNESCO World Heritage Site. Retrieved 15 July 2008.
- ^ Leithead, Alastair (15 July 2008). "Getting tourists to Afghanistan's 'Grand Canyon'". BBC News. Retrieved 15 July 2008.
- ^ "Bamyan visited by about 130,000 tourists last year". Pajhwok Afghan News. 15 April 2024. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
- ^ "The Female Ranger". Medium (website). 17 May 2016. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
- YouTube(Mar. 11, 2024)
- ^ a b BirdLife International (2021). "Bande Amir". BirdLife Data Zone. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
- ^ "Band-e-Amir National Park Weather, Climate, Exchange Rates, Videos, Pictures, Reviews, Events, Hotels, News.. and more". Retrieved 1 March 2023.
- )
- ^ Radford, Antoinette (27 August 2023). "Afghanistan: Taliban ban women from visiting popular national park". BBC News. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
- ^ "Bamyan Launches Development Projects to Elevate Tourism Industry". Pajhwok Afghan News. 1 August 2017. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
Bibliography
- Dupree, Nancy Hatch (1977): An Historical Guide to Afghanistan. 1st Edition: 1970. 2nd Edition. Revised and Enlarged. Afghan Tourist Organization.
External links
- شروع نشرات آزمایشی از چینل نوازش با ویدئویی از بند امیر؛ آن زمان که آنجا حال و هوای تفریحی داشت. on YouTube(Mar. 22, 2024)
- Beauties of Afghanistan on YouTube(Mar. 14, 2024)
- Band-e Amir on YouTube(Mar. 11, 2024)
- پارک ملی بند امیر on YouTube(Dec. 31, 2023)
- Band-e-Amir National Park on YouTube(Aug. 30, 2023)
- Travel to Bamyan Afghanistan on YouTube(Aug. 18, 2020)