Kabul, the capital city of Afghanistan, is experiencing a historic water crisis. It’s caught up in a dramatic rescue operation, as reports indicate it could become the first modern city to fully run out of water. Over the last 10 years, the city’s aquifers have fallen by up to 30 meters. This shocking drop is primarily due to fast-paced, poorly planned urbanization and climate change impacts. Kabul’s population has boomed to some 7 million at present. This drastic increase from less than 1 million in 2001 further aggravates the already dire national water crisis.
This shocking drop in groundwater levels is a serious danger to the people of Kabul. As soon as 2030, all of the city’s aquifers could be depleted if consumption continues at the current rate. In fact, nearly half of Kabul’s boreholes have already gone dry. These deep boreholes are the only source of disease-free drinking water available to the majority of the affected population. The crisis is deepening. Currently, 80% of their groundwater is polluted with extreme levels of sewage, salinity, and arsenic contamination.
The limited households that can afford it are reeling from the financial burden imposed by the lack of water in Kabul. According to a recent Michigan radio report, some of those families are now paying as much as 30% of their income on water. Water prices have recently surged by more than a third in the past ten days. They increased it for the same amount from 500 afghanis to 1,000 afghanis! What’s more, over two-thirds of households have taken on debt due to water bill burdens.
To counteract this bubbling ecological disaster, the mega hydraulic project Panjshir River pipeline has been planned. This series of investments would directly provide drinking water to 2 million people and help lessen Kabul’s reliance on groundwater. The projected price tag for this project is a mind-boggling $170 million. Unfortunately though, that’s a pipe dream given today’s economic realities.
The continuing political situation has made raising money for crucial water and sanitation projects — the kind that could prevent a cholera outbreak — in Afghanistan even more difficult. Since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, about $3 billion in international funding has been frozen. The United States has cut more than 80% of its USAID funding, intensifying the crisis and limiting resources for necessary infrastructure improvements.
As of early 2025, an alarming shortfall was reported by the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Importantly, they only allocated $8.4 million of the available $264 million to support urgent water and sanitation programs in Afghanistan. This chronic under-investment has millions of residents vulnerable and without urgent action to address their urgent water crises.
The effects of this water crisis go far beyond health risks. It just as well risks becoming the first cause of mass migration as people flee the inhospitable habitats their communities and homes become. Dayne Curry pointed out the broader implications:
“We don’t have time to sit around waiting for budgets. We are caught in a storm from which there will be no return if we don’t act immediately.”
Nazifa, a local resident, expressed despair at witnessing her garden withering away:
“Those in Kabul are in a situation where they have to decide between food or water. And yet, the locals we’ve spoken to are still willing to invest what little they have towards a sustainable solution. Whichever project will bring the most immediate impact is the priority. We just need to start somewhere.”
The challenge now before us is an daunting, perhaps beyond Kabul, though certainly no less for Afghanistan. As Dr. Sadid highlighted:
“No water means people leave their communities, so for the international community to not address the water needs of Afghanistan will only result in more migration and more hardship for the Afghan people.”
Nazifa, a local resident, expressed despair at witnessing her garden withering away:
“Water is a human right and natural resource of Afghanistan. It is not a political issue. My heart bleeds when I look at the flowers and fruit trees in the garden, all drying up. But what can we do? We are currently living in a military state, so we can’t exactly go to the government to report the issue.”
The current situation presents a formidable challenge not just for Kabul but for Afghanistan as a whole. As Dr. Sadid highlighted:
“Afghanistan is facing a lot of problems, but this water scarcity is one of the hardest.”