According to the UN, water scarcity is one of the biggest obstacles that Afghanistan faces on the road to a stable and prosperous future. While this claim might seem surprising at first given the many other challenges the country is coping with, a closer look at the situation shows just how true it is.

Water is an essential element of life—used, among other things, for drinking, sanitation, and agriculture. These are activities without which no other forms of development can proceed or succeed.

Fortunately, while the water situation in Afghanistan remains critical, it has significantly improved in recent years due to a number of initiatives implemented by local and international organizations alike, including the Bayat Foundation. Read on to learn more about water in Afghanistan, and about what is being done to ensure that all Afghans have access to safe, clean water.

What are some important things to know about water in Afghanistan?

Access to water and sanitation is still limited.

Years of conflict and instability have taken a considerable toll on Afghanistan’s water distribution infrastructure, such as canals and dams. As a result, roughly one-third of Afghans still do not have access to clean drinking water (although it’s important to note that this is a significant improvement on the situation a decade ago, when clean drinking water reached only 20 percent of the population).

Similarly, less than half of Afghanistan’s population (43 percent) has access to safely managed sanitation. This has serious impacts on health outcomes, particularly for children, with UNICEF reporting that diarrhoeal diseases caused by inadequate sanitation are the second most common cause of death among Afghan children under the age of 5.

Glacial depletion is exacerbating water issues in Afghanistan.

The majority of Afghanistan’s water comes from the huge glaciers of the Hindu Kush mountain range. However, with average temperatures on the rise as a result of climate change, these glaciers are in danger of becoming depleted.

Some estimates predict that the Hindu Kush glaciers will be over one-third smaller (36 percent) by the year 2100. This level of glacial depletion would likely cause destructive flooding at first, followed by further droughts, which are already a serious problem in Afghanistan given a recent 62 percent drop in precipitation.

In simple terms, Afghanistan does have enough water.

There is no question that water scarcity is a real and immediate problem in Afghanistan. However, in aggregate terms, the country does in fact have an adequate physical supply of water.

Afghanistan is not a naturally water-stressed country. On the contrary, it is home to five major river basins—Amu Darya, Harirud-Murghab, Helmand, Kabul, and Northern—that are able to supply an estimated 75 billion cubic meters of water, or over 3,000 cubic meters per person. Furthermore, according to the Afghanistan National Development Strategy, the country’s present water usage amounts to just 33 percent of its total surface water.

It is clear, therefore, that Afghanistan’s water problems are more to do with infrastructure—that is, the capacity to connect available water with the people and places that need it—than with the supply itself.

How is the Bayat Foundation helping improve the water situation in Afghanistan?

Health care has long been one of the main focus areas for the Bayat Foundation. In recent years, recognizing the connection between unsafe drinking water, inadequate sanitation, and poor health outcomes, the Bayat Foundation has expanded its mission to include projects aimed at improving Afghanistan’s water situation.

To date, the Bayat Foundation has supported the construction of nine water wells in the Kabul area. Although much of Afghanistan’s water comes from its rivers, as described above, well water is increasingly recognized as an alternative water source that is both efficient and sustainable. Located at schools, mosques, and community hubs, these wells, which range from 60 to 110 meters in depth, provide safe and clean drinking water to thousands of individuals and families.

To make access to well water even easier, the Bayat Foundation’s wells are more than just regular boreholes with hand pumps. Instead, they are equipped with either solar pumps or gravity-fed piped water systems.

These types of wells are prioritized by organizations such as UNICEF. This is because they are more resilient to climate change; they are able to provide more water; they can be located closer to homes and community facilities; and, despite costing slightly more initially, they are usually less expensive to maintain.

Who else is working to improve water and sanitation in Afghanistan?

In addition to the Bayat Foundation, many other organizations are spearheading efforts to improve the water and sanitation situation in Afghanistan. One organization leading the charge in this area is UNICEF. It is working with various other groups and Afghan governmental agencies, including the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development and the Ministry of Education, to implement water and sanitation projects across the country.

Some recent UNICEF success stories include the establishment of sanitation facilities and sanitation education programs in schools as well as the creation of the WASH emergency center, which provides clean water, hygiene education, and sanitation facilities to people following emergencies and natural disasters.