Groundwater Environment and Management in Kabul, Afghanistan

Kabul city is considered as one of the least developed cities of the world regarding access to clean water supply and effective sanitation. Numerous feasibility studies on Kabul Basin’s surface and groundwater resources potential have been conducted over the past few decades. However, the Kabul residents are still facing drinking water shortage. The groundwater of Kabul Plain aquifer (KPA) is the primary source of water available in the Kabul for drinking, and widely utilized in agricultural and industrial sectors. Groundwater in the Kabul aquifer has significantly declined due to heavy abstraction of groundwater resulting in drying many shallow wells. The major challenges in groundwater resource management in the KPA are the lack of coordination among concerning organizations, unavailability of monitoring data, and lack of proper management framework. Therefore, strong implementations of proper policies are required for groundwater management in the Kabul Plain. This study highlights the current status of groundwater and various management issues in the Kabul Plain.