Deteriorating drought poses threat to Afghanistan's food sustenance as per UN warning
Crisis in Afghanistan: Worsening Drought Threatens Millions
Afghanistan is currently grappling with a severe and worsening drought that is affecting at least 16 to 19 provinces, particularly in the north and northwest regions such as Faryab, Badghis, and Ghor. This prolonged drought is critically impacting food security, livestock health, and water availability, including for urban populations in Kabul.
Food Security Under Threat
Rainfed agriculture has largely failed due to depleted soil moisture and lack of rainfall, severely reducing crop yields across many areas. Irrigated agriculture has fared somewhat better, but groundwater shortages threaten its sustainability. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warns that ongoing droughts push vulnerable rural communities toward food insecurity as crop failures persist.
Livestock Sector Under Stress
The livestock sector is under extreme stress due to pasture degradation, water scarcity, and a concurrent outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease. These factors together increase animal mortality and force distress sales of breeding herds, stripping vulnerable families of crucial nutrition and income sources. Protecting livestock is key to preserving livelihoods and food availability in rural areas.
Kabul's Looming Water Crisis
Kabul, home to over five million people, is facing a severe water crisis. Much of its water supply depends on underground sources, which have been unsustainably depleted due to unregulated well drilling and population growth. Experts warn that these reserves could become nonviable within a few years, producing severe health, sanitation, and security challenges. Recent extreme heat waves have further strained Kabul’s already limited water supplies. Addressing this requires urgent water management reforms, including groundwater mapping, well regulation, rainwater harvesting, and regional cooperation on water resources.
Urgent Calls for International Assistance
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and UN-Habitat have issued urgent calls for international assistance to support farmers, protect livestock, and stabilize vulnerable rural communities. The deepening humanitarian and environmental crisis in Kabul poses a significant challenge to the city's residents, particularly those living in informal settlements. Four out of every five people in Kabul reside in informal areas that are highly exposed to environmental hazards.
Climate Change and Extreme Weather Events
UN-Habitat warns that Kabul's informal settlements face increasing risks from extreme weather events driven by climate change. This year's monsoon season began earlier than usual and with greater intensity, complicating weather patterns across the country. The ongoing drought is part of a recurring cycle exacerbated by climate change, including rising temperatures, reduced snowfall in the Himalayas, and lower precipitation trends increasing the frequency and severity of droughts.
In summary, Afghanistan’s worsening drought severely threatens food security by crippling agriculture and livestock, while urban centers like Kabul face looming water crises that imperil millions of residents unless urgent reforms and sustainable water management strategies are implemented. The crisis requires immediate attention, action, and international cooperation to address the unsafe living conditions and climate resilience in Afghanistan.
- The ongoing fear of climate change and extreme weather events, driven by rising temperatures and lower precipitation trends, further exacerbates the recurring cycle of droughts in Afghanistan.
- The environmental-science community has expressed concern that Kabul's informal settlements, housing four out of every five residents, are particularly susceptible to increased risks from extreme weather events due to climate-change.
- The degradation of pasture, water scarcity, and a concurrent outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease have placed intense pressure on the livestock sector, leading to increased animal mortality and distress sales of herds, negatively impacting food, nutrition, and income sources for vulnerable families.
- Urban populations in Kabul, already struggling with a looming water crisis due to unsustainable depletion of underground sources, face severe health, sanitation, and security challenges, as experts warn that the reserves could become nonviable within a few years.
- In light of the worsening drought and its impacts on food security, livestock health, and water availability, political leaders are calling for general-news outlets and environmental-science researchers to highlight the urgency of engaging in dialogue about potential solutions and joining forces to manage this escalating crisis.
