A Legal Analysis of Afghanistan’s Environmental Law in the Context of Ronald Clarke’s Situational Crime Prevention Theory

Environmental protection, as one of the most significant legal and social challenges in Afghanistan, requires a precise and systematic analysis of existing laws and methods to prevent its degradation. This research aims to evaluate the effectiveness of Afghanistan’s Environmental Law from the perspective of Ronald Clarke’s Situational Crime Prevention theory. Accordingly, the study focuses on operational situational prevention techniques such as increasing the difficulty of committing Crimes, reducing criminal benefits, and strengthening formal and informal controls, in order to analyze and assess the existing legal capacities for preventing environmental crimes. The research methodology is descriptive-analytical and relies on library resources, legal documents, domestic and comparative legislation, and criminological theories. The main research questions include: Has Afghanistan’s Environmental Law succeeded in reducing environmental crimes by utilizing situational prevention tools? What gaps can be identified within its legal and executive frameworks? The research Findings indicate that despite the enactment of the Environmental Law in Afghanistan, many situational prevention principles have not been incorporated into the legislative structure and Enforcement Policies. Weaknesses in identifying vulnerable critical points, lack of effective monitoring, and insufficient deterrence in sanctions are among the main challenges. Finally, the study offers recommendations for reforming and updating the law and methods of implementing the techniques, based on Ronald Clarke’s situational prevention theory.