Afghanistan: The First National Park

After decades of false starts, Afghanistan is creating its first national park, Band-e-Amir, encompassing a sprawling swath of rugged land surrounding a series of deep blue lakes in the mountains west of Kabul. The lakes sit behind natural travertine dams. The region was a popular destination for Afghans from the 1950s through the 1970s, but visits have largely ended with the string of wars and unrest since then. Scientists from the Wildlife Conservation Society, which helped the government with planning and surveys, say much of the park’s wildlife has been depleted, although the park is still home to wolves, wild sheep and goats, and the Afghan snow finch.