Afghanistan has designated its first national park near the Bamyan Valley, in a bid to increase international tourism traffic and to protect the natural area.

Officials from the country's National Environmental Protection Agency signed a decree earlier this month to create Band-e-Amir National Park, which is located in the country's central highlands and encompasses six mountain-fed crystal blue lakes. The lakes were a popular tourist destination before the Taliban's rule and officials hope to make it so again. Parliament must approve the legislation for the national park status to become permanent,

It's believed that USAid, the US government's aid arm, gave US$1m (£670,442,€752,452) to help the lakes gain this provisional status and the Wildlife Conservation Society helped identify the park's boundaries.