This place in India's neighbouring country may become first major city to run out of water by 2030, not in Pakistan, Bangladesh, it is located in...

Afghanistan’s capital Kabul could become the world’s first city to run out of water in the next five years. A new report by the non-profit group Mercy Corps has raised serious concerns about the city’s future, saying that its 7.1 million people may soon face a major water crisis.

According to the report, overuse of water and the effects of climate change have caused Kabul’s groundwater levels to drop sharply. In the last 10 years, the city’s water table has fallen by 25 to 30 meters. Every year, the amount of water being used is 44 million cubic meters more than what is naturally replenished.

If this continues, all of Kabul’s water sources may dry up by 2030. This could force nearly three million people to leave their homes. UNICEF has already estimated that nearly half of the underground wells in Kabul have dried up. These wells are the main source of drinking water for most residents.

The report also highlights serious water pollution problems. It says up to 80 percent of Kabul’s groundwater is unsafe due to high levels of sewage, arsenic, and salts.

Experts blame climate change, poor governance, and increasing pressure on limited water resources for the crisis. Since 2001, Kabul’s population has grown many times, putting extra stress on its infrastructure. 

Rainfall has also declined sharply in recent years. Rivers that refill Kabul’s groundwater depend on snow and glacier melt from the Hindu Kush mountains. But from October 2023 to January 2024, Afghanistan received only 45 to 60 percent of its usual winter rain.