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 The most common natural hazards that occur in Afghanistan are landslides/mudflows and Earthquakes. Landslides happen nearly every year in Afghanistan affecting many lives. The most predominant landslide was in April of 2019 affecting nearly 175000 people. The heaviest affected areas were the Western and Southern parts of Afghanistan.  Earthquakes have also had high prominence in Afghanistan, and as of the last ten years, there have been three Earthquakes that have affected over 50000 people. In 2022, an earthquake hit the southeastern part of Afghanistan affecting 90,145 people. In 2015, the biggest Earthquake recorded in the last ten years took a toll on the whole country with 153739 people affected. Finally, in 2013, nearly 50,000 were affected in the eastern province of Afghanistan.  I have some recommendations that I would address to mitigate these hazards. First, I would establish information for the government to be aware of the hazards in particular areas of Afghanistan, and th
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Coastal Erosion in Afghanistan

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 Coastal Erosion is caused by a combination of coastal flooding, strong wave action, and sea level rises. Certain soils and the wind can cause coastal erosion over a period of time. Afghanistan does not have an ocean but, there is considerable coastal erosion amongst many river banks. A great example that I chose for this blog was the Amu river bank in the Balkh province of Afghanistan. Over a period of almost 15 years, from 2004 to 2020, there has been considerable coastal erosion on the banks of the Amu River. There are some serious consequences when a decent amount of coastal erosion has taken place. Extensive flooding and land degradation are the effects of this coastal erosion. Over this 15-year time period, water in the Amu river has risen 5000m per year. This is due to flash flooding and immense rain. All in all, Afghanistan does not frequently have coastal erosion, and when it does it typically takes place in rivers that are continuously pounded by the elements.  https://www.md
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Extreme Whether

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 This week we will be discussing Extreme Whether and the effects it has on Afghanistan. First I would like to start out by Identifying where these Extreme Whether cases are most frequent. Places like Kandahar, Helmand, and Nimruz are most frequent to have extreme weather cases. In January, 160 people died due to frigid temperatures and a lack of fuel to supply heat. This was a very unfortunate event that demonstrated the capability of temperature drops in Afghanistan. As well as this, temperatures can rise too very rapidly causing precipitation patterns across Afghanistan to be altered and access to water becomes diminished. The map below shows the average annual temperature in different regions of Afghanistan. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/more-than-160-afghans-die-bitterly-cold-weather-2023-01-26/  https://www.unocha.org/news/afghanistan-alarming-effects-climate-change#:~:text=Rising%20temperatures%20are%20rapidly%20altering,common%20sight%20across%20the%20country. 
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Afghanistan mass wasting risks

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 When discussing Afghanistan's mass wasting risks it is very important to look at the droughts that occurred in the country. Not only do these droughts cause people to move away to find more fertile lands, but they also cause landslides and flash floods. There are no real ways to combat a drought but Afghanies have thought of many different  " solutions for problems like floods and landslides are a hybrid combination of natural and built infrastructure,” said Hassan Partow, a Programme Manager at UNEP's Disasters and Conflicts Branch. “They are cost-effective and readily available, which is crucial in a country like Afghanistan.”" These infrastructures could seriously help improve the effects of these landslides and floods. https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/facing-floods-and-landslides-afghans-turn-nature-protection  
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Afghanistan and Its Volcanos

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 Unfortunately, or fortunately, Afghanistan is classified as a low hazard for Volcano activity. However, this does not mean there are no active volcanos in Afghanistan. Most of the volcanic activity comes from the Eastern region of Afghanistan. These volcanos such as the Dacht-i-Navar grouping, the Loman Volcano grouping, the Vakak group, and the Zardolou grouping have all not erupted since the Pleistocene era.  https://thinkhazard.org/en/report/1-afghanistan/VA#:~:text=In%20the%20area%20you%20have,but%20over%2010%2C000%20years%20ago.   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_volcanoes_in_Afghanistan
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Seismic Activity in Afghanistan

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  Afghanistan has earthquakes that have reached up to seven point six on the Richter scale. Although, earthquakes are not very common in Afghanistan. The largest earthquake occurred in the Kabul region in 1956. In case of an earthquake, measures you should take in order to stay the most safe are to stay away from windows and outer walls. You should also make sure to cover the back of your head and if outside, make your way to an open area that is not next to any buildings nor trees. https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/earthquakes/during.html#:~:text=Stay%20away%20from%20outer%20walls,and%20buildings%2C%20and%20stay%20there. https://www.worlddata.info/asia/afghanistan/earthquakes.php#:~:text=In%20Afghanistan%2C%20there%20are%20partly,the%20direct%20consequences%20of%20earthquakes.  
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Afghanistan and its Tectonic Plates

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 Afghanistan lies on the borders of the Eurasian plate and the Indian plate. Afghanistan also sees activity from the southwest at the Arabian plate. These three tectonic plates extend hundreds of kilometers from the south, to the west, and to the east. I found it very cool that Afghanistan borders three tectonic plates I have never seen that before. https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2005/1264/pdf/OFR-1264.pdf  
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