Lost Temple City At Risk from Mining Operation

Mes Aynak is one of Central Asia's largest Buddhist ruins. It is located about a 90 minute drive south-east of Kabul in the hills of Logar province (Logar province is highlighted in red at left). A team of archaeologists are running out of time to save the ancient artifacts before a Chinese copper mining operation starts to rip up the soil destroying the ancient site. Read more in "Race to save lost temple city at risk from its own wealth", by Andrew Lawler, New Scientist, Sep 2015.

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SIGAR: $488 Million at Risk - TFBSO

A recent report by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) says that the Department of State (DoS), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Department of Defense's Task Force for Business and Stability Operations (TFBSO) have failed to coordinate and prioritize their extractives activities. This failure has resulted in divergent strategies and poor working relationships - with the end result of creating potential sustainability problems. The Afghan Ministry of Mines and Petroleum (MoMP) still lacks the technical capacity to research, award, and manage new contracts without external support.

Read the SIGAR report here.
Afghanistan's Mineral, Oil, and Gas Industries: Unless U.S. Agencies Act Soon to Sustain Investments Made, $488 Million in Funding is at Risk, SIGAR 15-55 Audit Report, April 2015.
www.sigar.mil/pdf/audits/SIGAR-15-55-AR.pdf

See Wikipedia's webpage for more information about the TFBSO.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Task_Force_for_Business_and_Stability_Operations

Read a news report on this topic by Siobhan O'Grady in The Cable - Foreign Policy, April 28, 2015 - "Afghanistan Watchdog: Poor U.S. Planning Puts $488 Million at Risk".

Learn more about Afghanistan's mineral potential.
www.afghanwarnews.info/development/minerals.htm

Afghanistan Mining Industry and Women

Afghanistan is rich in mineral resources but still hampered by security and infrastructure problems in exploiting those resources. Observers are hopeful that the mining industry can assist in strengthening Afghanistan's economy yet some are concerned about the possible adverse effects on Afghanistan's women. Read more in "Afghanistan's Mining Industry, Crucial for Economy, Holds Risks for Women", United States Institute of Peace, October 10, 2014.

Minerals in Afghanistan

Afghanistan is rich in copper, iron and rare minerals that are needed by the world's economy for manufacturing goods. At some point in the future, once security is established and good governance takes hold, the mining of minerals will produce a significant part of the annual revenue to run Afghanistan's government. Read more in All that Glitters in Afghanistan, Inside Science, September 10, 2014.

India Interested in Afghan Hajigak Iron Ore Mines

India may soon sign a contract with the Afghan government for the development of the Hajigak iron ore mines. The deal was offered to a consortium led by the Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) a few years back. Read more in "Afghanistan keen to ink mining contract with India", SME Times, December 24, 2013.

Mining a Source of Income for Afghanistan - But it is Years Away

Afghanistan has rich resources in minerals and there is great promise for the future of the country's economy because of these minerals. However, getting the minerals out of the ground and to the consumer is years away due to the lack of equipment, infrastructure, railways, and security. Read more about the abundant mineral resources and the huge problems in exploitation of the minerals. See "Excavating a future in Afghanistan", Stars and Stripes, March 24, 2103.

China's Long-Term Strategy for Afghanistan

China is a country that has always taken a long view of the world and its destiny. Its relationship with Afghanistan is no exception. China has time on its side and they are using it. They have avoided becoming involved in the internal politics of Afghanistan. They have not to any large degree supported the Western powers in their military occupation of Afghanistan (through military assistance, troops in the ground, and participating in the Northern Distribution Network NDN). China has been engaged with Afghanistan in other areas - especially in the economic sector. China sees a stable Afghanistan as a source for raw materials (Afghanistan has a large amount of raw minerals) and as a market for China's export of finished goods. Many observers note that the Western powers are doing the heavy lifting in the fight against the Taliban and one of the countries that will benefit the most from a successful conclusion of the conflict will be China. You can read more about the China-Afghanistan relationship in a paper wrote by Serafettin Yilmaz - a doctoral candidate in Asia-Pacific Studies (IDAS) at National Chengchi University (NCCU) in Taiwan.

"Afghanistan: China's New Frontier?", December 19, 2012.
www.e-ir.info/2012/12/19/afghanistan-chinas-new-frontier/

Mining Marble in Herat, Afghanistan (USAID)

"Home to an estimated 400,000 people, the city of Herat lies on the ancient trade routes of the Middle East and Central and South Asia—just 50 miles from the Iranian border. The province bearing the same name is the largest and most significant urban area in western Afghanistan. Mining has occurred throughout Afghanistan for thousands of years. More than 60 known deposits of valuable stone are found nationwide, representing 35 varieties in more than 40 colors, including fine-grained white marbles.

The Herat region boasts many of the country’s largest and best-quality marble quarries. In a country struggling with widespread unemployment and poverty, the marble sector has the potential to generate thousands of jobs and millions of dollars of revenue for the region.Yet, despite these significant mineral deposits, the mining sector has been unable to meet even domestic demand, let alone the significantly larger demand from international markets."

Read the rest of the story here in "Hard Rock in Afghanistan", USAID Frontlines, March/April 2012.