Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty: Iran’s deepening water crisis is primarily driven by prolonged drought, chronic mismanagement, and the impacts of climate change. The crisis is so bad that officials say Tehran is becoming uninhabitable and Israel is hoping it will get people to revolt against the Islamic republic. Making an already bad situation worse is
Khaama: As Kabul’s groundwater depletes rapidly, families across the city endure daily hardship to secure drinking water, sacrificing food, income, and education. Click here to read more (external link). Related For the first time in modern history a capital city is on the verge of running dry
Ariana: Kabul could become the first modern city to completely run out of water by 2030, according to a report by Mercy Corps. Over the past decade, water levels in the city’s aquifers have dropped by up to 30 meters due to rapid urbanization and climate change. Nearly half of Kabul’s boreholes—the primary source of
Euronews: Afghanistan is rapidly constructing the Qosh Tepa Canal, a waterway meant to help irrigate more than 500,000 hectares of its arid northern regions, for which it will redirect 20–30% of the Amu Darya River flow. Besides Afghanistan, the Amu Darya flows through Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan, with the last two countries being downstream. The
Afghanistan International: Speaking at the Tehran Dialogue Forum on Sunday, 18 May, Muttaqi stated, “Our effort is to prevent water from being wasted and to ensure it reaches the Iranian side properly.” His remarks came amid ongoing discussions between Afghanistan and Iran regarding water rights and the management of shared resources. Click here to read
Amu: In the drought-stricken province of Faryab, farmers say their livelihoods are hanging by a thread as water scarcity and prolonged dry spells continue to devastate agriculture. Dozens of farmers are now looking to the Qosh Tepa canal — a long-awaited irrigation project — as their last hope for salvaging the growing season. Without its
8am: The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) warned on World Water Day that climate change threatens Afghanistan’s glaciers. Reports from United Nations agencies indicate that Afghanistan is facing severe climate change challenges. Click here to read more (external link).
8am: Following the Taliban’s announcement that the construction of the Pashdan Dam in Herat is 80% complete and will soon become operational, a wave of criticism emerged from the Islamic Republic of Iran. Eisa Bozorgzadeh, spokesperson for Iran’s water industry, stated that this dam would severely affect the drinking water supply for millions of Iranians
Ariana: Iran’s foreign ministry said on Monday Tehran will use all means to restore its water rights from Afghanistan and that the Islamic Emirate should take the issue seriously. Ismail Baqaei, the spokesman for the foreign ministry, said in response to a question at a press conference on the construction of water dams in Afghanistan,
Afghanistan International: After the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, Tehran has repeatedly called on the group to restore the flow of water from the Helmand River to Iran, but the Taliban, citing the drought, has claimed that the water has naturally decreased and has not been blocked. Iran has also recently raised criticisms of the construction