Sustained monitoring will be essential to determine whether 2026 marks a temporary adjustment or the start of a broader recovery of Afghanistan’s opium economy.
Many experts emphasise the need for conditional cash transfer programmes, improved rural schooling, transportation support for students, and vocational training initiatives to ensure that families are not forced to choose between survival and education.
The authors stress that individual knowledge alone is insufficient. Food environments – marketing, pricing, availability and access – must support healthier choices.
Aviation crews remain stationed near their hangars, radar screens remain trained on western horizons, and some 30 million residents across the capital region wait to see whether engineered clouds can offer a rare gasp of clean air.
The authors stress that individual knowledge alone is insufficient. Food environments – marketing, pricing, availability and access – must support healthier choices.