英語時差:湛藍深湖成為阿富汗首座國家公園

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 A cascading collection of deep-blue high-mountain lakes became Afghanistan's first provisional national park, as the violence-plagued nation took a big first step toward protecting one of its finest natural treasures. Coinciding with Earth Day, officials in the Central Asian country signed a decree to create Band-e-Amir National Park, encompassing six mountain-fed lakes held back by natural calcified dams. Located in the country's peaceful central highlands, the lakes were a popular tourist destination before the Taliban's 1996-2001 rule, and officials hope they can attract tourists from around the world. Band-e-Amir is located in Bamiyan province, which has been relatively unaffected by the violence that plagues eastern and southern Afghanistan, where Taliban fighters and other militants control swathes of land and regularly clash with international and Afghan forces. The capital of Bamiyan is where Taliban fighters in spring 2001 blasted away two towering ancient Buddha statues carved into the region's red cliffs. Officials believe that Band-e-Amir and the remnants of the statues can combine for a powerful tourist attraction if Afghan, U.S. and NATO forces can reduce militant violence. Making Band-e-Amir a national park will give the four park rangers who now patrol the area's shores more enforcement powers to protect the lakes, said Peter Smallwood, the country director for the Wildlife Conservation Society, which played a large role in helping the government prepare Band-e-Amir for national park status.