The Environmental Protection Trainings and Development Organization (EPTDO) is a well-recognized climate change focused NGO, operating in all provinces of Afghanistan. This organization is led by a team of specialists in climate change, agriculture, and water—many of whom hold PhDs from various countries.
The EPTDO primary focus areas include climate change adaptation and mitigation, as well as disaster risk reduction (DRR) and Waste Management. Our vision, mission and thematic areas of function are aligning with the core principles of the United Nations, and we are proud to be the only accredited NGO in Afghanistan by the UNFCCC, UNEP, UNCCD, GEF-CSOs Network and the UN established CLIMATE CHARTER. This accreditation allowing us to participate in the United Nations international conference in the world. In our participation, we advocate for the climate actions and we raise awareness of the people about the vulnerability of Afghanistan.
We have successfully participated in several UN-COP conferences, including COP27, COP28, COP29, and COP16-UNCCD, underscores our commitment to global dialogues. We are currently preparing for COP30, which will take place in Brazil, with the aim of collaborating on international commitments, raising awareness about Afghanistan's climate challenges, and advocating for urgent climate action.
In 2019, a group of male and female experts, activists and dedicated youths established the EPTDO and a volunteer network for climate actions. In 2020 the EPTDO was officially registered with the Ministry of Economy of Afghanistan. The governance structure of the EPTDO organizations consists of 5 board members (2 females and 3 male) with executive committee members lead by the Founder and Chief Executive Director and a female who serves as Programme Manager. Several units within the EPTDO organization are led by female members.
Our work focuses on protecting the environment and promoting sustainable development across Afghanistan. We strive to build resilient communities and ecosystems by emphasizing climate adaptation, livelihood and agricultural development, and gender equality.
Additionally, we aim to mitigate the severe impacts of climate change through the following thematic areas:
• Climate Change Adaptation
• Climate Change Mitigation
• Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)
• Biodiversity Conservation
• Land Restoration/Conservation – Agroforestation
• Capacity Building and Training
• Women's Inclusion/Gender Equality
The EPTDO has a proven track record of successfully implementing a variety of complex climate change and environmental programs and projects, both independently and on behalf of donor organizations. Our efforts have been recognized by several international organizations and agencies, reflecting our commitment to impactful environmental action.