Local participation and spatial data are playing a key role in determining the boundaries of the area. Click play to view the story map to learn more.
Afghanistan.
Located 150 kilometers west from Afghanistan's capital city, the Shah Foladi Protected Area is an example for ensuring the sustainable development and management of natural resources and livelihoods. Follow the story in the story map to read how spatial data contributed to the creation of Shah Foladi, the third protected area in Afghanistan, in 2015.
The Bamyan Mountain Range
The Shah Foladi area is a landscape of outstanding natural beauty. It forms part of the Koh-e Baba mountain range, which stretches over Bamyan and Wardak provinces in Afghanistan’s central highlands. Standing at an impressive 5,050 meters high, the Shah Foladi peak is the crown of the Koh-e Baba mountain range.
The mountains of the Shah Foladi's glaciated landscape are the birthplace of all of Afghanistan’s most important watersheds. The numerous alpine lakes, glaciers and extensive pastures store water and release it throughout the year. This water feeds creeks, canals, and rivers throughout the entire country.
Overall, Shah Foladi is an area of spectacular scenic beauty, deriving as much from the interaction between the works of nature and humanity as from the intrinsic value of the natural features themselves.
This diversity is important for maintaining both global biodiversity and ensuring the longevity of local livelihood practices, which includes a rich traditional knowledge and usage of a high diversity of medicinal and edible plants.
The Shah Foladi Protected Area
