BLOG
April 5th, 2018
Courtesy of Circle of Blue, an interesting look at Afghanistan’s water challenges:
In Afghanistan, the ties between water and conflict are complex. Years of warfare have upset the water supply of millions. Fighting has damaged infrastructure and driven numerous Afghans from their homes, often to areas where clean water is unavailable. At the same time, climate change is pressuring the country’s resources, and changes in water availability are spurring more conflict.
Acute water shortages affect both urban and rural areas. Kabul, the capital, is undergoing a population influx as Afghans who fled during past fighting return home. Many of the returnees live in informal settlements, where access to water and sanitation is limited. In addition, the city’s growth is gradually depleting groundwater reserves.
In rural areas, shifting weather patterns influence water supply. The Hindu Kush mountain range has long been Afghanistan’s main source of water, but melting glaciers and erratic rainfall are altering the region’s water availability. The decline in resources has led to an increase in local disputes over water.
“People are surviving. [But] their ability to bounce back is almost zilch.” –Andrew Scanlon, a country director for the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), in reference to Afghan farmers who grapple with irregular snowmelt. Across the country, farmers agree that temperatures have risen and rains have become more unpredictable in recent decades.
By The Numbers
80 percent Proportion of conflicts in Afghanistan that are related to resources like land or water, according to UNEP.
45 percent Proportion of Afghans who are using unimproved water sources.
68 percent Proportion of Afghans who do not have access to improved sanitation.
1.5 meters Average amount that groundwater levels in Kabul declined each year between 2008 and 2012, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
26 percent Proportion of Afghans in Kabul province who listed access to drinking water as their biggest problem in The Asia Foundation’s recent Survey of the Afghan People.