Profiles: Eastern and southeastern Afghanistan

Khost, Kunar, Laghman, Nangarhar, Nuristan, Paktia and Paktika provinces

The southeast and east regions can be divided into the areas east of the Spinghar mountains and those to the west. Elevations vary between 500m and 2,500m with extensive plains alternating with valleys and mountains.

The mountains bordering Pakistan catch the end of the Indian monsoon, providing sufficient rain to support forests of cedar, pine, fir and evergreen oak. Unfortunately these have been plundered by years of indiscriminate lumbering.

The continuing drought has affected the flow of many of the seasonal and snow-fed streams rising in the Spinghar mountains which irrigate many of the districts in Nangarhar, Paktiya and Khost provinces. Here the cultivation of improved, high-yielding wheat varieties is widespread. Apart from wheat, vegetables such as onion and okra are cultivated and rainfed agriculture is insignificant.

Agriculture is mainly carried out in the valley bottoms and along the various rivers, but also in the plains of Paktika province. Double cropping is practiced at lower elevations in Kunar, Laghman, Nangarhar, Khost and Paktiya provinces.

Livestock

Most sedentary communities in the eastern and southern regions keep livestock (cattle, sheep and goats). In addition nomadic herders cross the region twice a year to and from their summer pastures in Pakistan. In the summer the Pashtun kuchis, with flocks of sheep and goats, shift to the high pastures in the Spinghar and Kunar ranges. Likewise the Gujars, with their cattle, winter in Pakistan and travel to the upper valleys of Kunar and Nuristan provinces.

    main crops and cropping systems