A severe drought in Afghanistan has left an estimated 33 million people [1] facing critical water shortages across the country.
The crisis threatens the stability of the national economy because agriculture accounts for about 25 percent [1] of the country's gross domestic product.
In Herat province, located in western Afghanistan, the impact is particularly acute. Prolonged drought conditions have caused water tables to drop significantly, drying out fields and orchards that families rely on for survival. To reach the receding water, some farmers have been forced to dig wells more than 100 meters deep [1].
Local families said that the lack of surface water has devastated their crops. The situation is compounded by a lack of government investment in essential water-storage infrastructure and dams, which has left rural communities unable to capture and store water during rare periods of rainfall.
Without sustainable water management, the agricultural sector faces continued decline. The deepening crisis in Herat reflects a broader national trend where rural populations struggle to secure basic needs amid environmental degradation and infrastructure failure.
“33 million people facing severe water shortages nationwide”
The intersection of climate-driven drought and a lack of state investment in infrastructure creates a systemic risk for Afghanistan's food security. Because a quarter of the GDP relies on farming, the inability to access groundwater threatens not only rural livelihoods but the overall economic stability of the nation.
