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Afghanistan's First National Park Opens

Band-e Amir in central Afghanistan has been declared a national park. The sapphire blue lakes drew tourists as part of the hippie trail in the 60s and 70s, and the Afghan authorities are hoping to recapture that popularity.

Band-e Amir National Park is a natural wonder that equals other national parks around the world.



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Afghanistan's landscape conjures images of desert and dust, barren and unforgiving. It's then a beautiful surprise to find the Band-e-Amir lakes resting like a hidden oasis, in the heart of the country.
This area has just been inaugurated as Afghanistan's first official national park. The event is historic, and reinforces hopes that the world can change its perception, of Afghanistan.

Soundbite, Mohammad Ayub Alavi, Wildlife Conservation Society
"It shows to everybody that in Afghanistan it's not only war. Even the ambassador of the united states of America, the vice president of Afghanistan, they can come together and walk easily, they can ride a boat, and this is going to be good news for everybody, and it's going to affect, we hope it's going to affect Afghanistan, and Bamyan province and Band E Amir and we hope that lots of people when they see this event they decide to come and see this area, this beautiful area."

Band E Amir had been a destination for travelers since the 1950s, and thousands travelled here as part of the hippie trail from Europe to India. And yet tourists have been almost entirely absent here during the last thirty years of tumultuous warfare. It's now widely considered that this area meets all the criteria that will enable it to bring back and sustain international tourism.
The park will provide employment and ensure that local communities play a role in protecting this world class landscape. Naturally the most important factor is the security situation.

Soundbite, Amir Foladi, Agha Khan Foundation
"The security concern has stopped, but before the war Bamyan especially, Band E Amir was a very good destination. Thousands of tourists were coming and visiting. So we hope that in the coming years we will rehabilitate that kind of thing to have more tourists to come here."

The new park will be managed by a partnership of Afghan Government agencies as well as the Band-e-Amir Protected Area Committee. The Committee is made up of locals from the 13 villages lying within the park. Bamyan's Governor views the national park and her province, as setting the standard for the more troubled areas in Afghanistan.

Soundbite, Dr Habiba Sarobi, Governor of Bamyan
"We have some place like Bamyan, and at the middle of Bamyan is Band E Amir. Bamyan itself is a very quiet place and stable. So I hope that the stability and security can go like a wave throughout Afghanistan, from Bamyan side and Band E Amir."
Soundbite, Mohammad Ayub Alavi, Wildlife Conservation Society
"we hope that its going to be a new start for a new Afghanistan, we hope thats its going to be a new start on the mind of the people in international communities, thinking about Afghanistan."

William Bonnett, for the NATO Channel, Band E Amir National Park, Afghanistan.

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