Kabul could be first city to run out of water as foreign aid dries up

Kabul could become the first modern city to completely run out of water, experts have warned, with scarcity already affecting residents.

- Mariam Amini

Water levels in the Afghan capital's aquifers have dropped by up to 30 metres over the past decade owing to rapid urbanisation and climate change, according to a report by the NGO Mercy Corps.

Meanwhile, almost half of the city's boreholes - the primary source of drinking water - have dried out. Water extraction exceeds the natural recharge rate by 44m cubic metres a year.

If these trends continue, Kabul's aquifers will run dry as early as 2030, posing an existential threat to the city's seven million inhabitants.

Dayne Curry, Mercy Corps' country director, said: "There should be a committed effort to document this better and to draw international attention to the need to address the crisis. 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."

The report also highlights water contamination. Up to 80% of Kabul's groundwater is deemed unsafe, with high levels of sewage, salinity and arsenic. Of water quality, Curry said one of the "most striking concerns is that I don't know if we have great solutions at this point". He added: "Neither the government nor the international community can say there is a credible plan in place."