In Kapisa province, several farmers express worry about drought and the scarcity of agricultural water. They explain that frequent droughts and insufficient rainfall have completely devastated most of the farmers’ crops. They point out that water scarcity has led to the destruction of crops like corn and beans in central regions and certain districts of Kapisa. Farmers in Kapisa province accuse the Taliban and relief organizations of neglect, asserting that they haven’t received any assistance so far. They highlight that the loss of agricultural produce has inflicted substantial financial losses on the province’s inhabitants. The Taliban authorities acknowledge that the drought has caused the loss of agricultural goods in certain Kapisa areas and are actively working to gather aid for the farmers. Nonetheless, experts caution that the drought will severely impact agriculture, the economy, food security, and people’s daily lives.
Abdul Rashid, a 45-year-old farmer from the central part of the Kapisa province, laments that he had cultivated over 4.6 hectares of land with corn, but due to severe water scarcity, the crops have been destroyed. He adds that alongside corn, other crops, particularly beans, and onions, have also perished. Speaking to the Hasht-e Subh Daily, Abdul Rashid states, “I’ve invested thousands of Afghanis in my fields, but they’ve all turned into dust. Currently, the price of a bag of white chemical fertilizer is 2,100 Afghanis, whereas a few months ago, we bought a bag of chemical fertilizer for as much as 7,000 Afghanis.”
He further adds, “It’s not just me; thousands of farmers in this province have been affected. Some had taken fertilizers through loans from shopkeepers to harvest, but with their crops gone, how can they repay the shopkeepers’ loans now?”
Farmers in Kapisa province are accusing the Taliban and relief organizations of negligence, asserting that they have received no assistance thus far. Rohullah, a farmer from Kapisa province, stated, “The Taliban are aware of this situation, but they have shown no attention so far. At the very least, they should oversee and collaborate with relief organizations to address farmers’ reports and provide us with emergency aid. They are waiting for us to die of poverty, and then they come to inspect.”
At the same time, some residents attribute the water scarcity in Kapisa province to “injustice” in the distribution of water from the Panjshir River between the provinces of Kapisa and Parwan through the “Golbahar Dam.” One Kapisa province resident, who requested anonymity, told the Hasht-e Subh Daily, “The water that should be irrigating Kapisa province now goes to the Qarabagh region of Kabul province. According to the agreement for the construction of the water transfer canal from the Panjshir River to Charikar and northern districts of Kabul province, during months of water scarcity, priority should be given to the people around the Panjshir River, namely Kapisa province and parts of Parwan province. Even the water should be distributed on a rotational basis. However, in this drought season, the canal is filled with water, disregarding the necessities of the people of Kapisa province and Parwan, It is going in favor of the Qarabagh region.”
We tried to get the views of officials from the Water Management Authority of Parwan Province on this matter; however, the head of this authority declined to comment.
Nonetheless, Taliban authorities confirm that agricultural products in certain areas of Kapisa province have been lost due to drought. Mawlawi Rohullah Rohani, the head of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock for the Taliban in Kapisa province, told the Hasht-e Subh Daily that the droughts this year have affected residents of villages including Wali Khel Bala and Payin, Malla Khel Bala and Payin, Malla Rasul Baba, Mulla Faqir Khel, Qazi Khel, Khanan Khel, Dengar Khel, Qala-e Sher Khan, Jamchi Shahbaz Khel, Shamshir Khel, Dawood Khel, Qala-e Naw, Omar Khel, Kor Taz, wa Shukhi, in the central area and the Tagab district of this province. He emphasized that the Taliban are striving to gather aid from international relief organizations for the farmers of Kapisa province.
However, several environmental experts consider drought a serious and concerning issue, stating that it has a “significant” negative impact on agriculture, the economy, food security, and daily livelihoods. Ahmad Reshad Aziz, a researcher in natural disaster and environmental issues, told the Hasht-e Subh Daily that water resource management, agricultural diversity, education and awareness, integration of water resources, conducting research in water resource management, supporting farmers, and government and national collaboration can all contribute to mitigating the effects of drought. He stated, “Thorough examination and practical implementation of these solutions can collectively help reduce the impacts of drought for Afghanistan and particularly assist citizens in Kapisa province, enhancing the resilience of farmers in this province against this phenomenon.”
This comes as the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) recently announced that 79% of Afghans lack access to sufficient water for drinking, cooking, bathing, and washing. According to the organization, in the past year, they assisted 160,000 Afghans in water, sanitation, and hygiene, and to address this need, 2.3 million Afghans require $33 million in 2023 in the water, sanitation, and hygiene sector.
As a result of the drought, water levels have decreased in many regions of Afghanistan, and groundwater in some areas has dropped by several hundred meters. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported earlier this month that 25 out of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces are experiencing “severe” drought conditions, and Afghanistan ranks among the 10 most climate-vulnerable countries in the world, according to climate change assessments.
