Ground Water Quality, Quantity & Problems of Kabul City

Wednesday, May 20 2009 - by Prof. Mohammad Naeem Eqrar of Faculty of Geosciences, Kabul University
 

The Center for Policy and Human Development (CPHD) held its first guest lecture of 2009 on May 20 at its Conference Hall in Kabul University. Professor Mohammad Naim Eqrar, Head of the Geo-sciences Faculty of Kabul University, delivered a lecture entitled “Problems of Groundwater Quality and Quantity in Kabul City.”

Professor Eqrar’s lecture offered the opportunity to start off the Guest Lecture series 2009 as well as to inaugurate a series of debates relevant to the theme of the Third Afghanistan Human Development Report on water and poverty.

The lecture consisted of a geological overview of Kabul city’s groundwater challenges, in terms of both quality and quantity, and their consequences for the city’s inhabitants. Elaborating on water contamination problems and its impacts, Prof. Eqrar presented an analysis of the root causes of Kabul city’s water shortage and on what could be done to prevent further deterioration and water scarcity.

Experiencing an unprecedented water contamination crisis, water in Kabul city is threatened by a multitude of contaminants, continuous drought, acute population growth leading to overexploitation of groundwater, and low annual precipitation. Prof. Eqrar highlighted the risk that present water sources in the Kabul river basin will fully be utilized soon.

Prof. Eqrar also identified challenges in open channels where waste materials can lead to contamination of Kabul River and water-borne diseases that could prove fatal if untreated. The lecturer provided policy recommendations that could deal with these problems outlined:

    §   Upgrading existing ground water sources

    §   Utilizing of full sustainable potential

    §   Increasing ground water recharge

    §   Developing new water sources in Kabul City from either Panjsher and/or Logar watersheds

    §   Developing new storages for surface water supply

    §   Building needed infrastructure such as water treatment plants

    §   Setting up protection zones around and up stream of well fields, both in existing and new wells.

    §   Constructing sewerage and waste water systems .