Kabul's water reserves dwindle as crisis escalates

A new report by the NGO Mercy Corps highlights a deepening water crisis in Kabul, warning that the Afghan capital is on track to exhaust its aquifer reserves by the end of the decade unless urgent action is taken.

According to the report, groundwater levels in Kabul have fallen by 25 to 30 meters over the past ten years. Extraction of water exceeds natural recharge by approximately 44 million cubic meters annually. If this trajectory continues, UNICEF projections suggest Kabul’s aquifers could run dry by 2030, with nearly 3 million people at risk of displacement. Already, nearly half of the boreholes—Kabul’s primary drinking water sources—have reportedly dried up.

The city’s population growth has intensified the problem. Since 2001, Kabul’s population has grown from under 1 million to an estimated 6 million in 2025. This rapid expansion has led to widespread drilling of over 120,000 unregulated bore wells. Alongside hundreds of factories and greenhouses, these wells are placing unsustainable pressure on the city’s three main aquifers.

Climate change is further compounding the situation. Afghanistan’s geography leaves it particularly vulnerable to drought. The latest drought, from 2021 to 2024, affected more than 11 million people across the country. Mercy Corps notes a marked decline in snow and glacier melt from the Hindu Kush mountains, which serve as the primary recharge source for Kabul’s groundwater. Between October 2023 and January 2024, precipitation levels in Afghanistan reached only 45 to 60 per cent of seasonal averages.

Contamination is another major concern. Up to 80% of Kabul’s groundwater is tainted with sewage and hazardous chemicals such as arsenic and nitrates. This poses serious health risks, particularly for children and the elderly. Shortages of safe water have forced the closure of schools and healthcare centers in several areas. In the absence of affordable options, residents without wells face rising costs from private water vendors. Some companies have been accused of profiting by extracting public groundwater and selling it at inflated prices.

Up to 80% of Kabul’s groundwater is tainted with sewage and hazardous chemicals such as arsenic and nitrates

Community tensions are also rising. A 2008 Oxfam survey cited in the report found that 40% of respondents identified water issues as a major driver of tribal and local conflicts.

Infrastructure and governance challenges are exacerbating the crisis. Despite two decades of international aid, the city’s water infrastructure remains inadequate. The report describes decades of unregulated drilling, contamination, and limited capacity at key surface water reservoirs like Qargha Dam, which has suffered from sediment buildup and poor maintenance.

Political developments since 2021 have had a profound impact as well. Mercy Corps notes that international isolation of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has led to the freezing of $3 billion in water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) funding. This has disrupted infrastructure repairs and public education programs. The dismantling of USAID under the Trump administration is also cited as a factor that has weakened humanitarian support, including WASH-related programs.

Planned infrastructure projects such as the Panjshir river pipeline and the Shah Toot Dam—both seen as potential relief mechanisms—have been delayed due to funding shortfalls and lack of investment.

“Kabul’s water crisis represents a failure of governance, humanitarian coordination, water regulation, and infrastructure planning,” the report states. It adds that the situation is also “a harbinger of climate-driven urban collapse.”

Without immediate and coordinated intervention, the report warns, Kabul could become the first modern capital to fully deplete its water reserves—an outcome with significant humanitarian, political, and economic consequences.