Kabul, home to over six million people, stands on the brink of a catastrophic water shortage, with experts warning that the city’s aquifers could run dry by 2030.
A Mercy Corps report highlights that groundwater levels have dropped 25-30 meters over the past decade due to over-extraction outpacing natural recharge by 44 million cubic meters annually.
Nearly half of Kabul’s borewells, the primary drinking water source, are already dry, and up to 80 percent of groundwater is contaminated with sewage, arsenic, and salinity, posing severe health risks.
This crisis threatens to displace three million residents if current trends persist, according to the report.
Climate change, governance failures, and rapid population growth from one million in 2001 to six million today have intensified Kabul’s water scarcity.
Reduced snowfall and early snowmelt in the Hindu Kush mountains, which feed the Kabul, Paghman, and Logar rivers, have diminished groundwater recharge, while rising temperatures increase evaporation and agricultural water use.
Decades of conflict and weak governance have compounded the issue, with funds diverted from infrastructure maintenance to security and humanitarian needs.
Western sanctions since the Taliban’s 2021 takeover have halted critical projects like the Shah-toot dam and a German-funded water supply initiative, leaving Kabul’s water infrastructure in disrepair.
The water crisis disproportionately affects Kabul’s poorest, who cannot afford to drill deeper wells, leading to longer queues at public taps and children searching for water instead of attending school.
Commercial entities, including over 500 beverage companies and greenhouses, extract billions of liters annually, further straining resources.
Experts urge immediate action, including artificial groundwater recharge, new pipelines from nearby rivers, and modernized water systems to reduce losses.
“Artificial groundwater recharge and the development of basic water infrastructure around the city are urgently needed,” said Assem Mayar, a water resource management expert.
Sanctions continue to limit access to resources and funding, hindering infrastructure development and exacerbating economic hardship, hunger, and migration pressures.