A Need for City-Specific Water Policies—A Case Study of Kabul City: Afghanistan

Kabul, the capital city of Afghanistan is facing the serious problem of scarcity of water. Over-exploitation of the groundwater and the contamination of water are adding to the problem. There are poor management and misuse of water due to instability and the long war in the country. A chain of a large number of shallow wells is created to meet the requirement of rising population. It led to the over-exploitation of groundwater and the water table is declining very fast. Some of the existing wells are already dried. The grave situation can be imagined by the fact that around 85% of the population of the city is dependent on groundwater sources particularly hand pumps installed by individual households. Another problem of the city is the contamination of groundwater resources due to lack of a sewage system and treatment before its disposal. This paper elaborates the current status of water resources in terms of availability and its quality. Basin boundaries of water systems do not follow the administrative boundaries. Hence, cooperation and commitment at local, national and international levels, among various institutions, and organizations are needed to manage the looming water crisis in the capital of Afghanistan. This paper stresses the need for city-specific water policy for effective management of water resources. Population growth regulation in water-scarce areas is also required to contain the impact of the water crisis. The water policy will ensure environmental sustainability, enhanced productivity, groundwater recharge and biodiversity.