Islomkhon Gafarov
Since the Taliban’s return to power, Afghanistan’s mineral and extractive industries have assumed growing strategic importance in the broader context of sustaining the country’s fragile economy. The abrupt loss of access to international financial assistance,
the freezing of foreign-held assets, and the enforced curtailment of opium poppy cultivation have pushed the Taliban leadership to refocus on domestic resources,
particularly the country’s vast mineral reserves. Yet, there is little indication that the Taliban intend to pursue full-scale exploitation or large-scale export of these resources in the immediate term. Rather, their approach appears deliberately cautious, treating Afghanistan’s natural wealth less as a means of short-term economic gain and more as a tool of political leverage and diplomatic bargaining on the international stage.
Afghanistan’s Mineral Wealth
According to estimates by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the total potential value of Afghanistan’s mineral resources exceeds $1 trillion. More than 1,400 deposits have been identified across all 34 provinces of the country. The Hajigak iron ore deposit alone is believed to contain up to 2 billion metric tons of high-grade ore. Even more significant is the Mes Aynak copper deposit in Logar Province, which holds over 12 million metric tons of copper – resources valued at more than $50 billion on the global market. Particularly noteworthy are the country’s substantial lithium reserves, located primarily in the provinces of Ghazni,
Nuristan, and Helmand. Afghanistan also possesses approximately 47 oil wells, with the majority concentrated in the Sar-e Pol, Sheberghan, and Amu Darya basins.
Official data indicate that the extractive sector has already attracted roughly 10 billion Afghanis (around $110 million) in domestic investment, in addition to over $7 billion in foreign direct investment. The mining sector has emerged as a vital source of employment, officially providing jobs for an estimated 150,000 Afghan citizens. This endows the industry with not only economic significance but also pronounced social relevance – especially against the backdrop of protracted unemployment and severely limited access to international assistance.
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