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Fact Sheet 2010–3037

Prepared in cooperation with the Afghanistan Geological Survey
under the auspices of the U.S. Agency for International Development

Availability of Water in the Kabul Basin, Afghanistan

By T.J. Mack, M.P. Chornack, T.B. Coplen, L.N. Plummer, M.T. Rezai,1 and I.M. Verstraeten

1 Afghanistan Geological Survey

Summary

Link to report PDF file

The availability of water resources is vital to the social and economic well being and rebuilding of Afghanistan. Kabul City currently (2010) has a population of nearly 4 million and is growing rapidly as a result of periods of relative security and the return of refugees. Population growth and recent droughts have placed new stresses on the city’s limited water resources and have caused many wells to become contaminated, dry, or inoperable in recent years. The projected vulnerability of Central and West Asia to climate change (Cruz and others, 2007; Milly and others, 2005) and observations of diminishing glaciers in Afghanistan (Molnia, 2009) have heightened concerns for future water availability in the Kabul Basin of Afghanistan.

First posted June 2010

For additional information contact:
Chief,
International Water Resources Branch
U.S. Geological Survey
420 National Center
Reston, VA 20192
http://water.usgs.gov/international

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Suggested citation:

Mack, T.J., Chornack, M.P., Coplen, T.B., Plummer L.N., Rezai, M.T., and Verstraeten, I.M., 2010, Availability of water in the Kabul Basin, Afghanistan: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2010–3037, 4 p. (Also available at https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2010/3037/.)



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