Kabul to become first modern city to run out of water
Experts warn that Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital, could be the first modern city to completely run out of water.
A report by the NGO Mercy Corps reported that rapid urbanization and climate change have caused Kabul’s groundwater level to drop by up to 30 meters in the past decade.
Kabul residents’ primary source of drinking water is wells. Almost half of Kabul’s wells have already dried up. Kabul has to pump out 44 million cubic meters of water every year, which is much more than it can recharge naturally. As a result, Kabul’s groundwater level is falling day by day.
If this trend continues, Kabul’s aquifers could dry up by 2030, threatening the city’s seventy million residents. Dayne Curry, Country Director of Mercy Corps Afghanistan, stated that it is essential to better document and raise international awareness about the crisis. The lack of water is forcing people to leave their homes, so the international community must urgently address Afghanistan’s water needs. Failure to do so will only accelerate further migration and create more hardship for the Afghan people.”
The report highlights water pollution in Kabul as a significant and pervasive issue. About 80 percent of Kabul’s groundwater is believed to be unsafe because of sewage, salinity, and high arsenic levels.
Water supply has become a daily battle for the people of Kabul. Some families spend up to 30% of their income on water, and over two-thirds are in water-related debt.
Nazifa, a teacher in Kabul’s Khayerkhana neighborhood, said, “Afghanistan has many problems, but the water shortage is the worst.” “Every family is facing the problem, especially those with low incomes. There is no adequate, good-quality well water.”
Private companies are drilling deep wells, extracting groundwater, and selling it at high prices to city residents, worsening the crisis.
“We used to pay 500 Afghanis (£5.30) every 10 days to fill a can from a water tanker. Now, we are paying 1,000 Afghanis for the same amount of water. The situation has been getting worse over the past two weeks. We fear it will become even more expensive.”
In 2001, Kabul’s population was under one million; today, it has increased sevenfold, leading to a significant rise in water demand. The lack of centralized governance and control has also perpetuated the problem for decades.
In early 2025, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that only $8.4 million (£6.2 million) of the $264 million needed for a water supply and sanitation program in Afghanistan had been received. Since the Taliban took power in August 2021, another $3 billion in funding for the International Water and Sanitation Fund has been suspended. President Trump’s recent actions since taking office have reduced USAID funding by more than 8 percent, compounding the crisis.
“Everything hinges on assistance,” Curry stated. “Spending millions on short-term water solutions may seem sufficient, but the need will persist until we invest in long-term solutions. Foreign governments are stopping short at this point because of the Taliban’s return to power.”
Nazifa said: “Water is a human right and a natural resource in Afghanistan. It is not a political issue. My heart bleeds when I see the flowers and fruit trees in the garden withering away. But what can we do? We are currently living in a military state, so we cannot go to the government to report the problem.
The Panjshir River, 150 km from Kabul, is part of the “Panjshir Water Project,” which will supply surface water to the city through a pipeline. If completed, this project could decrease Kabul’s dependence on groundwater and supply drinking water to two million residents. The design phases were completed in late 2024, and the project is now waiting for budget approval. The government is looking for additional investors to raise £170 million for financing.
“We don’t have time to wait for the budget” Dr, Najibullah Sadid, a senior water resources researcher in Afghanistan and a member of the Afghan Water and Environment Professionals Network. Stated, “We’re in a storm that will bring no rewards unless we act quickly.”
“The residents of Kabul are in a situation where they have to make a quick decision between food and water,” Dr. Najibullah Sadid added. “The people we spoke to are still willing to invest whatever they have in a sustainable solution. The project that will have the most immediate impact will be prioritized. We just need to start somewhere.”
Mariam Amini, write for the Guardian
Courtesy: The Guardian
