Afghanistan Peace Campaign
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has warned that Kabul’s groundwater could be depleted if no action is taken.
UNICEF stated on Tuesday, October 29, on the social media platform X that Kabul’s groundwater might run out by 2030 due to rapid urbanization and climate change.
UNICEF has not proposed a specific solution to prevent this crisis but mentioned that Roza Otunbayeva, the UN Special Representative in Afghanistan, and Tajudeen Oyewale, UNICEF’s representative in Afghanistan, visited water-scarce areas in Kabul.
The purpose of these UN officials’ visits to the water-crisis-affected regions was reported to be finding an effective solution to the ongoing crisis.
“Water is life. Due to rapid urbanization and climate change, there could be no ground water in Kabul by 2030, if we do not act now. We can stop this,” UNICEF said.
Our Rep @TajudeenOyewale and SRSG @otunbayeva went to meet affected communities & find out how to help meet this basic human need,” the organization added.
The organization emphasized that if “we take action,” this crisis can be prevented.
The worsening water crisis in Kabul is further intensified by climate change, leading to prolonged droughts and shrinking water sources. Rapid urbanization without sustainable planning has also strained the city’s limited water resources.
Mismanagement of water resources in Kabul has exacerbated the situation, with poor infrastructure and lack of proper regulation contributing to the depletion of groundwater. Addressing these issues requires immediate and collaborative efforts to ensure sustainable water management and protect the city from a severe water crisis.