Tapping out: Kabul can be the first modern city to get out of water; Report ‘unprecedented human disaster’ warning

Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, can become the first modern city to completely exit water, warns a recent report. Report titled ‘Kabul’s water crisis: a divisive point for action’, The recently released by NGO Mercy Corps explains in detail in the emergency of the city’s deteriorating water and urges immediate international and domestic attention.The report said Kabul’s groundwater extraction is more than a natural recharge of up to 44 million cubic meters every year, with a water table falling between 25 and 30 meters in the last decade. According to UNICEF estimates, quoted in the report, the city’s aquifers can dry up by 2030, potentially displacing 3 million people. The situation is already important – half of the borhole, the primary sources of drinking water of Kabul residents, are dried.An Aquifer is an underground layer of rock, sand or soil that keeps water. It acts like a natural water tank. People use this water through wells, but if too much is extracted and is not enough then (eg rains or ice), the aquifer can move drought.The report states, “Kabul’s water crisis represents governance, human coordination, water regulation, and failure of infrastructure plans … Without immediate intervention, the risks of the city become the first modern capital in the world that completely eliminates their water reserves.”Kabul water comes to a large extent from three main aquifers, which has been recharged by Snomemelt from the Hindu Kush mountain. However, due to climate change and recurring drought, snow and rain have declined significantly. From October 2023 to January 2024, Afghanistan received only 45–60% of its normal winter rainfall. According to the report, “Afghanistan is the sixth weakest country in the world for the effects of climate change,” and Kabul is already looking at the effect, reducing the amount of meltwater with low snowfall and small winter.The report said, “Less winter also means that the less time to accumulate on the Hindu Kush for ice, and thus low melted water runoff in spring, even city’s demand for water demand increases rapidly.”In favor of the infrastructure, only 20% of families in Kabul are associated with centralized piped water systems. Most residents rely on the water pumped from borewells, many of which are irregular or drying up. “90% of Kabul’s 90% of Kabul residents rely on the water pumped from borewells to supply their daily needs,” the report said.The report also highlights water quality issues. Presenting major health risks, “80% of Kabul groundwater is contaminated with sewage, toxins and dangerously high levels such as arsenic and nitrates.” In the interviews conducted for the report, 70% of the inhabitants stated that they had issues such as poor taste, smell or malaise in their well.Financially, the crisis has forced families to spend 15–30% of their monthly income on water. In some cases, private water companies extract water and sell it back to residents at high prices. “Weekly water cost for the same house reaches 400–500 Afghans ($ 6-7) for the same house, which exceeds the cost of food for more than half of the houses.” “To meet this financial burden, families are forced to borrow more, keeping them deeply in debt. 68% of homes have water related loans, in which informal lenders have charged 15–20% monthly interest. ,The main water sources of the city such as the Coorg reservoir and the Shah-V-Aus Dam are either underperforming or new operational. Long -employed projects such as Panjshir River Pipeline and Shah Tot Dam are delayed due to money and political issues.The challenges of governance are also serious. The National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA), responsible for monitoring water quality, has lost about 40% of its technical staff, “roughly due to technical staff fleeing the country.” Due to international recognition and lack of funding cuts like USAIDs, the agency cannot conduct full water testing and lack access to basic equipment.The report warns that unless immediate changes are made – including better governance, water infrastructure investment and international cooperation – Kabul can face a humanitarian crisis. “Without a massive change in the dynamics of Kabul’s water management, the city has to face an unprecedented human disaster within the coming decade, and is likely to happen very soon,” it has concluded.