Water resources in Afghanistan
Between March and October 2023, Acacia Water supported UNICEF in Afghanistan with a baseline study on water resources in Afghanistan. The aim of the study is to form a baseline understanding of the (ground)water resources in Afghanistan, based on existing and available information, and to select (ground)water availability priority areas.
This baseline study synthesizes the knowledge base on groundwater and surface water resources in Afghanistan and highlights key information, key issues and opportunities to initiate further development concerning improved water supply and effective groundwater monitoring. In addition, this study explores how the impacts of climate change and increasing water demand could be mitigated, and recommendations are given for future work and follow-up studies.
Local stakeholders have been engaged through the organization of online dissemination workshops in which key findings were discussed with experts in the Afghani water sector. In addition, the baseline report was reviewed by many national and international experts of ministries, local NGO’s, UN organisations and academia. All the collected and reviewed studies and reports are available in the online repository of the project, including the latest version of the synthesis report, a literature overview and map viewer, which are accessible through: https://gw4a.acaciadata.com/home
During the National Consultation Workshop on the Impact of Climate Change on Water Resource Management, organized by UNICEF in Kabul on 2-5 October 2023, the main findings have been presented and discussed, followed by participation in group discussions that resulted in the selection of key issues and follow up actions towards the development of a Road Map on water resources management and development in Afghanistan.
Synthesis report on Water Resources in Afghanistan
Surface water and groundwater availability has been a concern in Afghanistan ever since civilization evolved and a question that determines the livelihood of its people. In order to develop water as a resource for agricultural activity, industrial development and domestic use, while maintaining environmental flows, the hydrological regimes that determine its presence and quality must be understood.
The need for hydrological understanding has gained recognition by the Afghan responsible institutions as well as the international donors involved in Afghanistan. Especially since the effects of climate change such as floods and droughts are increasingly exacerbating vulnerability and poverty in Afghanistan. With this in mind, UNICEF has recognized the need to integrate and update the available knowledge on the Afghan water resources and improve the hydrogeological understanding in order to improve water security for all.
This synthesis report is the result of a baseline study undertaken by Acacia Water and funded by the DRRS Programme of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), on behalf of UNICEF. This baseline study is unique, as for the first time an integrated and up to date literature overview of available relevant studies, reports and maps on water resources in Afghanistan has been collected, reviewed and synthesized into a report. In the report, the key issues in terms of water scarcity, groundwater depletion and groundwater quality issues, and gives an indication of priority areas and priority topics for further research. Recommendations are given to improve access to safe water and address the impacts of water scarcity. As such, this baseline gives direction and rationale for a national water resources management and monitoring plan in Afghanistan.
The report can be accessed through the following link https://gw4a.acaciadata.com/media/Afghanistan/Groundwater%20resources/UNICEF_AW_132_HB_231426_V2.1_Synthesis_report_-_Water_resources_in_Afghanistan.pdf
