The water scarcity crisis in Afghanistan’s capital has reached an alarming threshold. Shafi Azam, Director of Economic Relations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, warned that the magnitude of the problem far outweighs current mitigation efforts.
Kabul 24: Highlighting the grave environmental risks, he cautioned that the unchecked and excessive extraction of groundwater has severely compromised Kabul’s soil stability, raising the danger of widespread ground subsidence triggered even by a mild earthquake.
These warnings underscore the urgent need to accelerate water management strategies, secure funding, and implement immediate interventions. Depleting aquifers, compounded by rapid urban growth and unmonitored consumption, pose a direct threat to the capital’s infrastructure and long-term sustainability.
This assessment comes alongside differing reports regarding the city’s water supply progress. Officials from the state-owned Kabul Water Supply and Sewerage Corporation recently stated that following the establishment of the Islamic Emirate, infrastructure expansions have successfully provided clean drinking water to over one million residents in the capital.
In response to the deepening crisis and to reduce reliance on underground reserves, the government has initiated several major projects.
Comprehensive plans are currently underway to divert water to Kabul from nearby rivers and reservoirs, including the Panjshir River project as well as the Shah wa Arus and Lalandar dams.
Experts emphasize that rapidly executing these key infrastructure projects remains critical to preventing a severe environmental catastrophe and stabilizing the capital’s fragile water table.
