Band-e Amir, one of Afghanistan's most exquisite natural landmarks, is a complex series of six crystal-clear lakes. White travertine dams created by fault lines, which are prevalent in the Band-e Amir Valley, form the barriers between the lakes.

The natural phenomenon that generates the dams occurs when the carbon dioxide rich water oozes out of the faults and fractures to deposit calcium carbonate precipitate in the form of travertine walls. The process also takes place in a similarly active fault line along Band-e Azhdar (The Dragon), located a few miles southeast of the town of Bamiyan, from which mineral-rich water oozes out to form the dam in a continuous basis.

In 1973, the Afghan government named Band-e Amir as the first national park. Because it was not ratified into law, Band-e Amir does not have legal status to be officially protected. In the past three decades of war, governmental protection of Band-e Amir National Park has been less than a priority.

Still, it is revered by the people of Bamiyan who engage in folklore about the lakes and have erected a shrine to Hazrat Ali at the bank of Gholaman Lake, making the site sacred for local communities. This type of spiritual dedication may account for the relatively low corruption of the bodies of water. In 2003, a United Nations Environmental Program reported that "the travertine dams' walls appear to be intact and the vegetation is little changed.

However, there are many ecological and conservation problems to be addressed in the surrounding settings. During 200l, warring factions planted numerous landmines along the road to the site. Although some of the explosives have been cleared, enough remain to pose a serious threat to all life forms in the area.

Other serious problems include unregulated grazing and uprooting of shrubs that degrades the delicate vegetation cover, fishing by electrification methods, serious soil erosion, and the harvesting of reeds that destroys waterfowl habitats in the valley. The natural setting is littered by trash and human waste, damaging the environment and serenity of the park.

As the situation becomes more peaceful, the number of visitors to Bamiyan and Band-e Amir will undoubtedly grow. It is urgent that the environmental protection agency of Afghanistan introduces guidelines in the use of this site and raises awareness for its preservation. Keeping the park well preserved will allow the local people a better quality of life not just from a safer environment, but also through the business of tourism, which could become a lifeline to this struggling community.