This capital city could be the first in the world to run out of water. Here's why

Indian Express

6 days ago

Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, is on the verge of a catastrophic water crisis, with the United Nations warning that nearly six million residents are at risk due to a sharp decline in water availability. The city's water shortage is attributed to years of population growth, poor management, and climate change, which have depleted groundwater levels and left almost half of Kabul's boreholes dry.
In some parts of the city, families wake up each day unsure if they will have enough water to cook, bathe or even drink. Raheela, a 42-year-old mother of four, told CNN, 'We don't have access to drinking water at all. Water shortage is a huge problem affecting our daily life.'
She and many others in Kabul rely on water tankers, which cost money they struggle to afford. 'We are deeply concerned. We hope for more rain, but if things get worse, I don't know how we'll survive,' she said.
A report by Mercy Corps warns that Kabul is extracting 44 million cubic metres more groundwater each year than nature can refill. Experts say the city's water supply depends almost entirely on groundwater, which is no longer being replenished fast enough due to less snowfall and glacier melt from the Hindu Kush mountains.
'Kabul is facing not just a water issue,' said Marianna Von Zahn, who leads programmes for Mercy Corps in Afghanistan. 'It's a health crisis, an economic crisis, and a humanitarian emergency all in one.'
Many boreholes have already dried up. Some families have spent months saving money to dig deep wells. Ahmad Yasin, 28, told CNN he and his brother spent six months saving 40,000 Afghanis (around $550) to dig a 120-metre well. But the water is not safe to drink.
'We boil it for a long time before drinking,' Yasin said. 'Since we spent all our money on the well, we cannot afford to buy a water filter.'
Mercy Corps says up to 80 per cent of Kabul's groundwater is polluted due to sewage and waste. Residents report frequent sickness from using water, even for brushing their teeth.
Sayed Hamed, a father of three, said his family often falls ill. 'We get sick due to contaminated water either by drinking at someone else's house, in a restaurant, or even at home,' he told CNN.
Children are missing school to collect water. Hamed's two children, aged 13 and nine, sometimes skip class to queue for refills during the day. 'The hours that children should be spending in school, they are now basically spending on fetching water for their families,' Von Zahn said.
Women face even greater challenges, as Taliban rules prevent them from leaving home without a male relative. A 22-year-old woman in Kabul told CNN, 'It is not easy for a woman to go out, especially under the current circumstances. They could be harassed or bothered on the way.'
Political instability has made the crisis worse. Since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, international aid has declined. Earlier this year, US President Donald Trump stopped US development aid to Afghanistan. According to Mercy Corps, only $8 million of the $264 million needed for water and sanitation had been delivered by early 2025.
Raheela, who once found Kabul more affordable, said her family may have to leave. 'We won't have any other choice but to be displaced again,' she said. 'Where will we go from here? I don't know.'