Gold boom in Badakhshan reshapes villages, sparks environmental and economic turmoil

Thousands of miners have converged on the Shiwa region of Badakhshan, operating day and night to harvest gold for investors nationwide. The surge has provided jobs for people such as 21-year-old Mohammad Agha Khwaja Khail from Kabul, who earns 10,000 Afghanis a month, but has also devastated traditional livelihoods; farmer Muhammad Amin says the river is now polluted and his herd has shrunk from 40 to 15 goats. Since the Taliban returned to power, the mines department, led by Abdul Mateen Rahimzai, has registered up to 700 firms and reports a 25-30 % annual growth in mining contracts, though many operations remain unregistered.

The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum claims new regulations, yet officials admit that numerous sites have caused floods, mudslides and the loss of infrastructure, leading to the closure of about 225 pits. Researchers note that earlier mining benefited insurgents, while today firms pay a tax of 20 g of gold per hectare monthly. Local herders such as Fazil warn that the industry benefits only powerful interests and leaves communities impoverished.