Residents of Afghanistan have been utilizing thousands of kilometers of Turkmen territory for agricultural purposes. According to a publication by the "Weather Journal" based on satellite images, Afghan shepherds are venturing deep into Turkmenistan to graze their livestock. The border control line established in the Turkmen SSR during Soviet times remains in place, with Turkmen border guards primarily monitoring the internal boundary of the control zone, leaving the external border with Afghanistan unguarded.
As a result, Afghan residents freely enter Turkmenistan, primarily engaging in livestock grazing activities. Satellite image analysis by the "Weather Journal" revealed the extent of Afghan shepherds' encroachment into Turkmen territory. Overgrazing has led to land depletion, while the carelessness of Afghan individuals in the border strip has caused numerous steppe fires, surpassing those in Turkmen-inhabited areas due to the lack of fire control measures.
Additionally, Afghans have been hunting on Turkmen territory, causing harm to the Badhyz Nature Reserve. They also gather fruits and collect wood from the unique pistachio forests along the control strip. The "Weather Journal" emphasizes that the control strip encompasses thousands of square kilometers of Turkmenistan's legal territory. Turkmen citizens are deprived of using this land, as their neighbors have essentially taken over and exploited it.
