Agricultural experts have voiced concern over the widespread use of traditional irrigation methods in Afghanistan. They warn that as drought intensifies and water resources shrink, continued reliance on these methods wastes large quantities of water and undermines efficiency in the agricultural sector. The high cost of modern irrigation equipment, lack of capital, absence of necessary infrastructure, and farmers’ limited awareness remain major obstacles to expanding modern irrigation systems in the country, they say.
The experts told the Hasht-e Subh Daily that many farmers, hampered by weak finances, cannot afford to change their irrigation systems or adopt new technologies. Developing modern irrigation systems, providing financial facilities, and giving farmers access to necessary equipment are essential steps toward better water management and higher agricultural productivity, they emphasize. Unless irrigation practices are reformed, they warn, Afghanistan’s agricultural sector will grow increasingly vulnerable to drought, a trend that could reduce agricultural output and, without investment in water management, deepen food insecurity nationwide.
Mohammad Salem Saei, an agricultural expert, says the widespread use of traditional irrigation methods, combined with dwindling water resources, has increased the amount of water lost in agriculture. He points to farmers’ limited access to modern irrigation technology, economic hardship, small and scattered landholdings, and lack of awareness as the main reasons traditional methods persist in Afghanistan.
“Our farmers mostly rely on traditional methods,” Saei says. “One key reason is that we still haven’t managed to develop modern agricultural techniques across different regions or introduce them to farming communities. Land unsuitability is another problem: plots vary widely in size and shape, so a single modern irrigation system cannot be applied uniformly everywhere.”
According to Saei, weak investment in modern irrigation has left farmland-level water management stuck in traditional methods. He adds that declining surface water has pushed many farmers toward heavier reliance on deep wells to meet their crops’ water needs. Continued groundwater extraction, he warns, could worsen the agricultural water crisis if left unmanaged.
“With climate change, shrinking water resources, and no clear strategy for managing them, the agricultural sector is being hit hard,” Saei says. “Reduced access to water places greater pressure on both underground and surface supplies. Without proper management, this could have serious long-term consequences for Afghan agriculture.”
Qutbuddin Yaqoubi, another agricultural expert, says that earthen canals and traditional water-transfer methods cause the loss of 30 to 40 percent of water before it reaches farmland. He attributes this loss to evaporation, seepage into unlined canal soil, poor canal structure, and mismanaged irrigation systems. Combined with successive droughts and shrinking water resources, he warns, this could reduce agricultural yields and farmers’ income and ultimately degrade farmland over the long term.
“In traditional irrigation, especially water transfer through ditches and earthen canals, typically 30 to 40 percent of the water is lost before reaching the land,” Yaqoubi says. “Some evaporates during transfer, while more seeps into the ground because the canals are unlined. Poor canal design and mismanagement compound the losses. Given declining water resources and repeated droughts, continuing this practice could lower crop yields, raise production costs, and cut farmers’ income. Over time, it could even degrade farmland, turning parts of it into dry, unusable terrain.”
Yaqoubi views modern irrigation systems, including drip and sprinkler methods, as a key way to cut water loss and boost efficiency. But he notes their use in Afghanistan remains limited, and expanding them will require technical training and support for farmers.
“If farmers adopt modern methods like drip and sprinkler irrigation, they could significantly cut water waste,” he says. “These systems deliver water directly to plants, saving water while also improving irrigation management and productivity. Still, their use in Afghanistan remains largely confined to research projects and a handful of pilot cases. Expanding them will require technical training and support for farmers.”
Meanwhile, water experts say that fully replacing traditional irrigation with modern systems isn’t practical in the short term and must be tailored to land type and crop. Lining canals, covering sections of them, and applying suitable irrigation methods, they say, could significantly cut water loss. Water management in agriculture, they add, extends beyond irrigation systems alone — choosing low-water, economically valuable crops matters too.
Najibullah Sadid, a water expert, agrees that fully replacing traditional methods with modern ones isn’t practical in the short term, given how much land type and crop water needs vary. He notes that in some areas, improving canals and adjusting irrigation methods could meaningfully cut water loss.
“Converting all traditional irrigation to modern methods in the short term isn’t realistic,” Sadid says. “Some areas still need traditional methods, and drip irrigation doesn’t work for every type of land or plant. But where switching systems is feasible, appropriate methods can prevent significant water waste. Canals can also be lined at relatively low cost — paving them or adding suitable coverings prevents seepage into the soil. In some areas, covering canals can also reduce evaporation.”
Sadid stresses that solving Afghanistan’s agricultural water problem requires more than irrigation reform alone — crop choices must also align with water availability and economic value. Cultivating water-intensive crops with limited economic returns puts extra pressure on water resources, he says, a trend that won’t be sustainable as the population grows and water demand rises.
“Agriculture in Afghanistan isn’t just about irrigation efficiency — crop choice matters just as much,” he says. “Some crops consume large amounts of water without generating much economic value for farmers. If we reform irrigation systems and line the canals but keep promoting water-intensive crops, we won’t be able to manage water resources long-term. As the population grows, demand for water rises, and so does the need for food production. We should focus more on crops with higher economic value and lower water needs — saffron, asafoetida, almonds, pistachios, and other specialty crops. Otherwise, rising water use in agriculture could bring consequences like reduced food security, higher unemployment, and increased migration.”
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) had previously warned that Afghanistan is facing a severe wave of drought.
Similarly, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) had announced that Afghanistan is facing a multilayered, severe drought crisis that has disrupted the livelihoods of farmers and herders across half the country’s provinces.
Reports indicate that Afghanistan’s climate is changing rapidly, with rising temperatures driving drought in some regions and storms, heavy rainfall, and destructive floods in others.
Afghanistan is considered one of the world’s most vulnerable countries to climate change, despite contributing just 0.19 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. It nonetheless ranks fourth among countries most vulnerable to climate impacts.
In recent years, climate change has severely affected Afghanistan’s agricultural sector, which remains the primary source of livelihood for nearly 80 percent of the population. Untimely rains and floods have destroyed and reduced crop yields, and many regions of the country continue to struggle with drought.
Meanwhile, most farmland in Afghanistan is still irrigated using traditional methods, with only a small number of farmers using modern systems such as drip irrigation.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
