TTW

Travel and Tour World

Sunday, July 6, 2025

Afghanistan has in recent decades emerged as a rising center for adventure tourism. Despite the volatility that has long plagued the country, its diverse sceneries, cultural diversity, and history have started to attract travelers, most prominently those looking to have a singular experience that is far from mainstream. In late 2021, the Taliban announced their plans to develop tourism as a potential route to economic recovery. As part of this effort was its issuance of foreign nationals’ visas, which was suggestive of a desire to have the country open to foreign tourists.

Afghanistan’s sheer number of hills and mountains with ancient landmarks and historical sites, such as the Buddhas of Bamiyan, to date one of the world’s largest and most worshiped ancient statues, have a pull that’s impossible to resist for adventure travelers. The country also has some remarkable trekking tracks, among them the notorious Wakhan Corridor, which draws trekkers, mountain climbers, and explorers from all corners of the world. The country’s natural landscape with virgin valleys and lofty peaks and breathtaking scenery has much to offer for adventure tourism in its most unadulterated form.

The political situation in Afghanistan remains volatile, and security concerns continue to affect the country’s tourism potential. Terrorist attacks, including those that have occurred in major cities like Bamiyan, have further complicated the scenario for would-be visitors. Despite the Taliban’s assurances that they will provide a safe environment for tourists, the unpredictable security situation remains a primary challenge.

Travel advisories from many countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and others, warn against non-essential travel to Afghanistan, citing risks posed by terrorist groups and armed conflict. The security apparatus in the country is still in a state of flux, making it difficult for travelers to assess the level of risk before planning their trips. As a result, the country’s tourism sector remains a mixed proposition for many potential visitors.

Restrictions and the Taliban’s Impact on Women’s Rights

While Afghanistan’s natural beauty and adventure potential continue to attract interest, there are serious concerns regarding human rights, particularly the rights of women. Since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in 2021, the rights of women have been severely restricted. These restrictions have had a profound impact on tourism, as many countries and tourists are concerned about the treatment of women in the country.

Tourist activities such as guided tours, cultural experiences, and visits to historical sites, which typically require interaction with local communities, may face limitations for female travelers. Moreover, many countries have expressed concerns about the safety of women traveling in Afghanistan, further complicating the tourism industry. Many female travelers and tour operators are hesitant to engage with Afghanistan as a travel destination due to the prevailing restrictions on women’s freedoms under the Taliban’s rule.

International Reactions and the Potential for Development

Despite these significant challenges, Afghanistan’s tourism sector is not being ignored by the international community. Countries like Russia and China have shown interest in dialogue with the Taliban regime, and there are discussions surrounding the lifting of certain travel restrictions to allow foreign nationals to explore the country.

China, in particular, has expressed interest in investing in Afghanistan’s infrastructure, including its tourism sector. The potential for Afghanistan to develop into a significant tourist destination could boost the local economy and create new opportunities for Afghan citizens. While the path forward is uncertain, these talks suggest that Afghanistan’s tourism sector may gradually grow, particularly with the involvement of foreign investment and international cooperation.

Opportunities and the Future of Afghanistan Tourism

As Afghanistan works to attract tourists, it is becoming clear that adventure tourism is at the forefront of this new era. The country offers a unique, authentic experience that few other destinations can match. For those willing to navigate the complexities of travel to Afghanistan, the opportunity to explore some of the world’s most remote and stunning landscapes remains a draw.

Afghanistan has the potential to position itself as a unique adventure destination, offering everything from trekking through the Himalayas to exploring ancient Silk Road cities. The government, under the Taliban, has shown a willingness to develop the infrastructure necessary to support tourism, including improving roadways and offering accommodations to international visitors.

However, the future of Afghanistan’s tourism industry is still very much in question. Security risks, restrictions on human rights, and ongoing political instability all play a role in determining whether Afghanistan can become a truly viable destination for mainstream tourists.

What Travelers Need to Know

For those considering traveling to Afghanistan, it is essential to be aware of the risks involved. Comprehensive travel insurance, along with up-to-date information on the political and security situation, is a must. Travelers are advised to stay informed through government travel advisories, local embassies, and reliable news sources.

Given the unpredictable nature of the security situation, tourists are encouraged to take extreme caution when planning their trips to Afghanistan. Those who decide to travel should also be mindful of the cultural sensitivities and legal frameworks that are in place, particularly regarding women’s rights and dress codes.

Despite the challenges, Afghanistan remains an alluring prospect for adventure travelers who seek to explore off-the-beaten-path destinations. For those who are willing to embrace the uncertainties, Afghanistan offers an unforgettable, authentic experience in one of the most historic and culturally rich regions of the world.

Conclusion

Afghanistan’s growing popularity as an adventure vacation destination both reflects its great potential and the great roadblocks in its future. As the country gradually opens its doors to tourists, the political turbulence, security concerns, and restrictions on freedoms for women still remain major roadblocks. The future of Afghanistan’s tourism industry remains in limbo at present, yet with guarded hope and international cooperation, someday in the long future it could fulfill its promise as a unique and memorable vacation destination for the adventure-oriented.

References: Afghan Ministry of Tourism, United Nations Security Council Reports, United States Department of State Travel Advisory 2025

Afghans given Sunday deadline amid concerns over security after conflict with Israel, but humanitarian groups warn that mass deportations could further destabilise Afghanistan.

Millions of Afghan migrants and refugees in Iran have been asked to leave or face arrest as a deadline set by the government comes to an end.

Sunday’s target date neared amid public concerns over security in the aftermath of the 12-day conflict with Israel, which the United States joined with air strikes on Iran’s uranium-enrichment facilities.

But humanitarian organisations warned that mass deportations could further destabilise Afghanistan, one of the world’s most impoverished nations. Iran is home to an estimated 4 million Afghan migrants and refugees, and many have lived there for decades.

In 2023, Tehran launched a campaign to expel foreigners it said were living in the country “illegally”. In March, the Iranian government ordered that Afghans without the right to remain should leave voluntarily by Sunday or face expulsion.

Since then, more than 700,000 Afghans have left, and hundreds of thousands of others face expulsion. More than 230,000 departed in June alone, the United Nations International Organization for Migration said.

The government has denied targeting Afghans, who have fled their homeland to escape war, poverty and Taliban rule.

Batoul Akbari, a restaurant owner, told Al Jazeera that Afghans living in Tehran were hurt by “anti-Afghan sentiment”, adding that it was heartbreaking to see “people sent away from the only home they have ever known”.

“Being born in Iran gives us the feeling of having two homelands,” Akbari said. “Our parents are from Afghanistan, but this is what we’ve always known as home.”

Mohammad Nasim Mazaheri, a student whose family had to leave Iran, agreed: “The deportations have torn families apart.”

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimated that Iran deported more than 30,000 Afghans on average each day during the war with Israel, up from about 2,000 earlier.

“We have always striven to be good hosts, but national security is a priority, and naturally, illegal nationals must return,” Iranian government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said on Tuesday.

Late last month, the UNHCR said, of the 1.2 million returning Afghans, more than half had come from Iran after its government set its deadline on March 20.

“They are coming in buses, and sometimes, five buses arrive at one time with families and others, and the people are let out of the bus, and they are simply bewildered, disoriented and tired and hungry as well,” Arafat Jamal, the UNHCR representative in Afghanistan said as he described the scene at a border crossing.

“This has been exacerbated by the war, but I must say it has been part of an underlying trend that we have seen of returns from Iran, some of which are voluntary, but a large portion were also deportations.”

Al Jazeera’s Resul Serdar, reporting from Tehran, said Afghans have increasingly been blamed for economic hardships, shortages and social issues in Iran.

“These accusations have been fuelled by political rhetoric and social media campaigns following 12 days of conflict between Iran and Israel and claims that Israel has recruited Afghans as spies,” he said.

By Ruchi Kumar

Al Jazeera
5 Jul 2025

The city of six million people could soon run out water, amid climate change, sanctions and governance failures, say experts.

Kabul, a city of over six million people, could become the first modern city to run out of water in the next five years, a new report has warned.

Groundwater levels in the Afghan capital have dropped drastically due to over-extraction and the effects of climate change, according to a report published by nonprofit Mercy Corps.

So, is Kabul’s water crisis at a tipping point and do Afghan authorities have the resources and expertise to address the issue?

The depth of the crisis

Kabul’s aquifer levels have plummeted 25-30 metres (82 – 98 feet) in the past decade, with extraction of water exceeding natural recharge by a staggering 44 million cubic metres (1,553cu feet) a year, the report, published in April this year, noted.

If the current trend continues, Kabul’s aquifers will become dry by 2030, posing an existential threat to the Afghan capital, according to the report. This could cause the displacement of some three million Afghan residents, it said.

The report said UNICEF projected that nearly half of Kabul’s underground bore wells, the primary source of drinking water for residents, are already dry.

It also highlights widespread water contamination: Up to 80 percent of groundwater is believed to be unsafe, with high levels of sewage, arsenic and salinity.

Conflict, climate change and government failures
Experts point to a combination of factors behind the crisis: climate change, governance failures and increasing pressures on existing resources as the city’s population has expanded from less than one million in 2001 to roughly six million people today.

Two decades of US-led military intervention in Afghanistan also played a role in the crisis, as it forced more people to move to Kabul while governance in the rest of the country suffered.

“The prediction is based on the growing gap between groundwater recharge and annual water extraction. These trends have been consistently observed over recent years, making the forecast credible,” said Assem Mayar, water resource management expert and former lecturer at Kabul Polytechnic University.

“It reflects a worst-case scenario that could materialise by 2030 if no effective interventions are made,” he added.

Najibullah Sadid, senior researcher and a member of the Afghanistan Water and Environment Professionals Network, said it was impossible to put a timeline on when the capital city would run dry. But he conceded that Kabul’s water problems are grave.

“Nobody can claim when the last well will run dry, but what we know is that as the groundwater levels further drop, the capacity of deep aquifers become less – imagine the groundwater as a bowl with depleting water,” he said.

“We know the end is near,” he said.

Over-extraction highlights divides

A vast portion of the Afghan capital relies on underground borewells, and as water levels drop, people dig deeper or in different locations looking for sources of water.

According to an August 2024 report by the National Statistics Directorate, there are approximately 310,000 drilled wells across the country. According to the Mercy Corps report, it is estimated that there are also nearly 120,000 unregulated bore wells across Kabul.

A 2023 UN report found that nearly 49 percent of borewells in Kabul are dry, while others are functioning at only 60 percent efficiency.

The water crisis, Mayar said, exposes the divide between the city’s rich and poor. “Wealthier residents can afford to drill deeper boreholes, further limiting access for the poorest,” he said. “The crisis affects the poorest first.”

The signs of this divide are evident in longer lines outside public water taps or private water takers, says Abdulhadi Achakzai, director at the Environmental Protection Trainings and Development Organization (EPTDO), a Kabul-based climate protection NGO.

Poorer residents, often children, are forced to continually search for sources of water.

“Every evening, even late at night, when I am returning home from work, I see young children with small cans in their hands looking for water … they look hopeless, navigating life collecting water for their homes rather than studying or learning,” he said.

Additionally, Sadid said, Kabul’s already depleted water resources were being exploited by the “over 500 beverage and mineral water companies” operating in the capital city,” all of which are using Kabul’s groundwater”. Alokozay, a popular Afghan soft drinks company, alone extracts nearly one billion litres (256 million gallons) of water over a year — 2.5 million litres (660,000 gallons) a day — according to Sadid’s calculations.

Al Jazeera sent Alokozay questions about its water extraction on June 21, but has yet to receive a response.

Kabul, Sadid said, also had more than 400 hectares (9,884 acres) of green houses to grow vegetables, which suck up 4 billion litres (1.05 billion gallons) of water every year, according to his calculations. “The list [of entities using Kabul water] is long,” he said.

‘Repeated droughts, early snowmelt and reduced snowfall’

The water shortage is further compounded by climate change. Recent years have seen a significant reduction in precipitation across the country.

“The three rivers — Kabul river, Paghman river and Logar river—that replenish Kabul’s groundwater rely heavily on snow and glacier meltwater from the Hindu Kush mountains,” the Mercy Corps report noted. “However, between October 2023 to January 2024, Afghanistan only received only 45 to 60 percent of the average precipitation during the peak winter season compared to previous years.”

Mayar, the former lecturer at Kabul Polytechnic University, said that while it was difficult to quantify exactly how much of the crisis was caused by climate change, extreme weather events had only added to Kabul’s woes.

“Climate-related events such as repeated droughts, early snowmelts, and reduced snowfall have clearly diminished groundwater recharge opportunities,” he said.

Additionally, increased air temperature has led to greater evaporation, raising agricultural water consumption, said Sadid from the Afghanistan Water and Environment Professionals Network.

While several provinces have experienced water scarcity, particularly within agrarian communities, Kabul remains the worst affected due to its growing population.

Decades of conflict

Sadid argued Kabul’s crisis runs deeper than the impact of climate change, compounded by years of war, weak governance, and sanctions on the aid-dependent country.

Much of the funds channelled into the country were diverted to security for the first two decades of the century. Since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, funding has been used to tackle an escalating humanitarian crisis. Western sanctions have also significantly stymied development projects that could have helped Kabul better manage the current water crisis.

As a result, authorities have struggled with the maintenance of pipelines, canals and dams — including basic tasks like de-sedimentation.

“The crisis is already beyond the capacity of the current de facto authorities,” Mayar said, referring to the Taliban. “In well-managed cities, such impacts are mitigated through robust water governance and infrastructure. Kabul lacks such capacity, and the current authorities are unable to address the problem without external support,” he added.

As a result, environmental resilience projects have taken a backseat.

“Several planned initiatives, including projects for artificial groundwater recharge, were suspended following the Taliban takeover,” Mayar pointed out. “Sanctions continue to restrict organisations and donors from funding and implementing essential water-related projects in Afghanistan,” he said.

Sadid pointed out one example: An Awater supply project -funded by the German Development bank KfW, along with European agencies – could have supplied 44 billion litres (11 billion gallons) of water annually to parts of Kabul from Logar aquifers.

“But currently this project has been suspended,” he said, even though two-thirds of the initiative was already completed when the government of former President Ashraf Ghani collapsed in 2021.

Similarly, India and the Ghani government had signed an agreement in 2021 for the construction of the Shah-toot dam on the Kabul River. Once completed, the dam could supply water to large parts of Kabul, Sadid said, “but its fate is uncertain now.”

What can be done to address the water crisis?
Experts recommend the development of the city’s water infrastructure as the starting point to address the crisis.

“Artificial groundwater recharge and the development of basic water infrastructure around the city are urgently needed. Once these foundations are in place, a citywide water supply network can gradually be developed,” Mayar recommended.

Achakzai agreed that building infrastructure and its maintenance were key elements of any fix.

“Aside from introducing new pipelines to the city from nearby rivers, such as in Panjshir, there needs to be an effort to recharge underground aquifers with constructions of check dams and water reservoirs,” he said, adding that these structures will also facilitate rainwater harvesting and groundwater replenishment.

“[The] Afghan government needs to renew ageing water pipes and systems. Modernising infrastructure will improve efficiency and reduce water loss,” he added.

Yet all of that is made harder by Afghanistan’s global isolation and the sanctions regime it is under, Achakzai said.

“Sanctions restrict Afghanistan’s access to essential resources, technology, and funding needed for water infrastructure development and maintenance,” he said. This, in turn, reduces agricultural productivity, and increases hunger and economic hardship, forcing communities to migrate, he warned.

Source: Al Jazeera