Faiza Darkhani

Faiza Darkhani
Bornc. 1992
Afghanistan
Alma materBadakhshan University,
University of Putra Malaysia
OccupationsEnvironmentalist, women's rights activist, educator
Awards100 Women (BBC) (2021)

Standing out from the crowd is a courageous decision. You must follow your dreams and turn them into realities, and my dream is having a clean and safe environment, free of war and all types of pollution.

–Faiza Darkhani[1]

Faiza Darkhani (born c. 1992) is an Afghan environmentalist, women's rights advocate, and educator.[1] In 2021, she was part of the 100 Women BBC list, which includes the most inspiring and influential women in the world.[2] Darkhani is one of the few scholars of climate change within Afghanistan.[2] She was formerly the director of the National Environmental Protection Agency in Badakhshan province.[1]

She attended the Badakhshan University, followed by study at University of Putra Malaysia (also known as Universiti Putra Malaysia) where she graduated with a master of science degree in landscape architecture.[1] Her research focuses on the sustainable management of urban landscapes and the relationship between urban agriculture and food security.[3]

From 2022 to 2024, she was an Alexander von Humboldt Foundation scholarship holder and worked at the Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) e.V. in Germany.[4] She conducted and published research on the role of women in alternative food networks.[5] Her work was also cited in the fourth German Gender Equality Report, published in 2025 by the Federal Ministry for Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth.[6]

In 2024, Darkhani moved to Vancouver, Canada and started working as a doctoral student at the University of British Columbia Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship. Her advisor is Sarah E. Gergel.[7]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d "BBC 100 Women 2021: Who is on the list this year?". BBC News. 7 December 2021. Archived from the original on 11 December 2021. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
  2. ^ a b "50 Afghans among BBC's 100 influential women of 2021". The Frontier Post. 8 December 2021. Archived from the original on 11 February 2022. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  3. ^ Kalantari, Fatemeh; Nochian, Ashkan; Darkhani, Faiza; Asif, Nayeem (28 February 2020). "The Significance of Vertical Farming Concept in ensuring Food Security for High-Density Urban Areas" (PDF). Jurnal Kejuruteraan. pp. 105–111. doi:10.17576/jkukm-2020-32(1)-13. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 May 2025. Retrieved 12 February 2026.
  4. ^ Annual Report 2022 & 2023 (PDF). Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) e.V. (Report). 2024. Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 February 2025. Retrieved 12 February 2026.
  5. ^ Darkhani, Faiza (22 August 2024). "Investigating the role of women producers in alternative food networks implementing organic farming in Berlin Brandenburg". Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. 8. doi:10.3389/fsufs.2024.1294940. ISSN 2571-581X. Archived from the original on 15 December 2025. Retrieved 12 February 2026.
  6. ^ "Vierter Gleichstellungsbericht" [Fourth Gender Equality Report]. Gleichstellungsbericht.de (in German). Bundesstiftung Gleichstellung. Archived from the original on 13 November 2025. Retrieved 12 February 2026.
  7. ^ "Current Students". UBC Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship. Archived from the original on 15 December 2025. Retrieved 12 February 2026.