In one of Afghanistan’s driest and poorest provinces, climate change is making farming unviable

In Afghanistan, mountains have always been a major source of water for livelihood and irrigation activities, as snow and seasonal rains that fall in the highlands melt over time and feed rivers, springs, and groundwater aquifers. Unfortunately, now a days, due to climate change, reduced rainfall, rising temperatures, and repeated droughts, the amount of water reserves in the mountains has decreased, causing grave social and economic problems in many parts of the country.

In recent years, drought and water shortages have become a serious problem in various parts of Afghanistan.

Sadly, even the capital Kabul cannot provide drinking water to its residents in many neighbourhoods. According to locals, snow fell 12-14 times during an average winter season around 10 years ago. But the last winter saw only one or two spells of snow. This shows that global warming has affected Afghanistan, changing the pattern of grain production and bringing water-related problems to the region.

People face scarcity of potable drinking water in the heart of Afghanistan. Several families have to walk miles away from their homes to collect drinking water. Astonishingly, drought has also reached the province of Bamyan, which was once known for its abundance of water.

Similarly, in Nimroz province bordering Iran, reduced rainfall, rising temperatures, and excessive use of water resources have caused groundwater levels to decrease and many wells to dry up. This situation has directly affected people’s lives. On the one hand, agriculture and livestock, which depend on water, have suffered. On the other hand, it has become more difficult to provide drinking water for people.

Nimroz province is located in the southwestern part of Afghanistan, with Zaranj as its capital. It shares borders with Farah province to the north, Helmand province to the east, and lies along the southwestern international boundary. The majority of its residents are ethnic Baloch, and it is among the most sparsely populated provinces in the country. A large portion of the population, particularly the Baloch, have traditionally lived as nomads or semi-nomads, relying on the herding of animals like sheep, goats, and camels. Tribal ties are deeply rooted and significantly influence their daily lives, social decisions, and sense of identity.

According to a report, more than 44 per cent of the population in Afghanistan is dependent on agriculture and herding for their survival; therefore, safety of the environment is safety of livelihood for these communities.

In these areas, people are forced to travel long distances to collect clean water, or they are forced to buy water from tankers at high prices, as one of the locals lamented. This problem has not only made daily life difficult but has also caused some families to migrate from arid areas to other places.

Besides the economic crisis, the situation is creating a socio-psychological crisis as well in the region. People face poverty and deprivation due to this situation, which makes their levels of anxiety and depression high. In many cases, people are compelled to move towards criminal activities to survive.

In recent years, many farmers in different regions, especially in Nimroz, have faced serious problems due to water shortages and droughts. For example, farmers who previously relied on the use of springs and flowing rivers are now witnessing a sharp decline in their water resources. Reduced rainfall and excessive extraction of groundwater have caused many of these farmers to face water shortages and are unable to fully meet their agricultural or farming needs. Farmers in a region of Nimroz, who relied on natural water for years, are now forced to change the type of crops or reduce the area under cultivation due to a significant decrease in water flows and the drying up of springs. According to some farmers, the inability to provide sufficient water has not only reduced production, but also weakened hope for the future of agriculture in these areas. Notably, desertification has impacted over 75 per cent of the land in Afghanistan’s northern, western, and southern areas, leading to a decline in vegetation needed for grazing, escalating soil erosion, and harming agricultural production over the past 40 years.  

Migration has been high in the past years in many villages like Chakhansur, Chahar Borjak and Kang, and their people have migrated to Iran. With the arrival of a new governor, the work of repairing the local Kamal Khan dam has started. Still, water from the dam is not enough to meet the needs of the locals.

The problem of water shortage in Nimroz province is so severe that people pay for both fresh and salt water, and this problem has been going on for years, according to another local resident.

A farmer in Chakhansur district of the province says, “We have been facing water shortages for several years. Water is available for one day and then it is gone for a few more days. Whenever we hear news of water being supplied to Nimroz province, we start farming hurriedly as we do not know whether we will face water shortages again soon.”

Interviews with some farmers in the districts of Ganak and Chakhansur showed that they live in vicious poverty. According to them, three years of hard work cultivating barley and wheat and the lack of water have cost them so much that they no longer want to pursue agriculture as a profession. Poverty and migration are among the social consequences of water shortages that farmers and the people of Nimroz endure.

According to a farmer, Karim of Chakhansur district of Nimroz province, “Our province is known as one of the dries and most water-scarce provinces of the country. Despite all the efforts and hard work, the province is plagued by problems such as severe droughts every year. The province is exposed to drought and water shortages due to rainless seasons which have a great negative impact on the lives of people, especially farmers.”

These conditions make farming in Nimroz a vulnerable profession. People are reluctant to get involved in this profession. 

If the water crisis and drought are not seriously addressed, its consequences will become worse in the future and will create wider problems for agriculture, the economy, and the lives of the people in Afghanistan.

Mina Widi is a Kabul, Afghanistan-based researcher and a graduate from Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi 

Keyoor Pathak is Assistant Professor, University of Allahabad

Views expressed are the authors’ own and don’t necessarily reflect those of Down To Earth