Dear MEL Topic Readers,
This city is on track to run out of water by 2030. For many residents,
that day is already here
Kabul is the capital of Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. It sits in an
east-central mountain valley of Afghanistan along the Kabul River. Kabul’s
population increased rapidly from 2.4 million in 2000 to over five million
today, one of the world’s fastest-growing cities. Unfortunately, however, Kabul’s
water supply has been declining in recent years. The Kabul River is fed by
melting snow and glacial ice, both of which are diminishing, and aquifers aren’t
replenished for pumping and wells. Also, it is estimated that as much as 80% of
the city’s groundwater is contaminated by sewage and naturally occurring substances.
Kabul’s residents are now facing water bankruptcy because its water resource is
not recoverable. Those who can afford to dig their wells deeper or buy water
from private water tankers, but others walk long distances to fetch water from community
wells. Continuous droughts, declining snowfall, melting glaciers, and
increasing water demand from homes, agriculture, and businesses all contributed
to Kabul’s water bankruptcy, and there is no immediate solution to the crisis. Bombs
are no longer falling onto Kabul, but neither is the rain. What choices are left
for Kabul’s residents?
Read the article and learn how serious Kabul’s water shortage is.
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