This article considered the opportunities and challenges in the mining sector in Afghanistan.
Economic development resulting in income and job creation is badly needed by the Afghan government. If Afghanistan really wants to decrease its dependence on foreign contributions to pay for instance for the security forces, it needs to start searching for its own sources of income. Such a potential source of income could be Afghanistan’s mining sector. To start the process of developing the mining sector, the support of the international community is essential as well as the involvement of a strong civil society and the private sector. Yet, as the failed investment in the Aynak copper mine in Logar province showed, a lasting development of this sector can only be possible if local and foreign actors achieve a certain level of stability and can establish inclusive governance structures in some parts of Afghanistan.
