Kabul Faces 'Day Zero' Water Crisis by 2030 Amid Drought and Aid Freeze
Kabul is projected to become the first modern city to run out of water by 2030, according to a report by nonprofit Prosper Global. While the city sits in a valley fed by the Hindu Kush mountains, groundwater levels have dropped nearly 100 feet in a decade, with half of all boreholes drying up. Only 20% of residents have access to piped water, forcing many to rely on expensive private tankers or walk long distances to hand pumps. The crisis is exacerbated by six consecutive years of drought, a 25-year low in snowfall, and a population that has surged from 1 million in 2001 to 6 million today. International aid has dried up since the Taliban's return to power in 2021, leaving the government with limited capacity to address the 'water bankruptcy' described by experts.