President Ghani stresses solar, wind energy use

KABUL needs ‘competitive international capital market’ for its self-sufficiency.

The president said this while addressing a meeting organized about the climate change issue at the Presidential Palace on Tuesday evening.

Ghani said understanding and benefitting from natural resources was important for dealing with climate change, calling awareness about the environment as an individual responsibility.

A statement from the Presidential Palace received by Pajhwok Afghan News said that the president stressed the need for using solar and wind energy. “The solar energy would be very inexpensive compared to hydropower in near future,” Ghani was quoted as saying.

The president also termed management of forests as important and said: “Every jungle is a national asset.”

“Other sources also exist but to utilize them, we should create a network of contacts with foreign based Afghans and international universities”, Ghani added.

Addressing environment protection officials, Ghani said: “No one would give you cash until you cannot compete. Afghanistan will not stand on its feet without creation of capital and competitive international capital market.”

To deal with climate change, the president said short-term, mid-term and long-term visions should be created and relevant organs should enhance their cooperation.

“Climate change knows no boundaries and for controlling it, there is need for creating a new cooperation network and fundamental changes in procedure for using natural resources”, he added.

National Environment Protection Authority (NEPA) head Shah Zaman Maiwandi on the occasion said: “The climate change has turned into a serious problem the world is suffering from, Afghanistan is also one of the countries that face this issue.”

“NEPA alone is not responsible to deal with climate change, all organs, foundations and segments of the society should come forward and help”, he added.

Maiwandi asked insurgent groups to let NEPA implement its programs if they wanted to help combat global warming.

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