emissions.
A socialist policy would promote job creation in the north and socialise housing so that it can be built or upgraded to be warm but energy efficient and flexible enough to suit current rapidly changing living patterns. The UN "Post-conflict Assessment Unit has just issued an environmental report o Afghanistan. It summarises the situation a follows: "The most serious issue il Afghanistan is the long term environmenta degradation caused, in part, by a complet collapse of local and national forms of gover nance."
The report then goes on to detail th damage to traditional water canals b uncontrolled well-drilling, the complete dry ing out of many of the country's wetlands the destruction of 50% of the conife forests since 1978, damage to human healt by poor waste management and by majo industrial pollution and the illegal hunting o snow leopards and Marco Polo sheep t provide furs for tourists.
Two provinces, which had 37% and 55% cover with pistachio trees in 1977, were bare by 2002. The loss was caused by the breakdown of a community forest warder scheme and the consequent stockpiling o firewood. Also, "the military removed tree to reduce hiding and ambush opportunitie for opposing forces".
What is clear from the report is the importance of human management in protecting environments and the terrible destruction that occurs when that breaks down.
The Afghan puppet regime appears confi dent that repairs can be made. However even the UN points out that they were unable to visit certain areas due to warlorc banditry and that these bandits, in league with foreign traders, are continuing the destruction of the forests.
We await the UN's "post conflict" assessment of Iraq with interest.