World Small Hydropower Development Report 2016: Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
Publisher: UN Industrial Development Organization
Date: 2019
Topics: Conflict Causes, Governance, Livelihoods, Renewable Resources
Countries: Afghanistan
During the dry season most rivers in Afghanistan become little rivulets. The rivers are mostly supported by mountain streams. These rivers have decent flows in spring, when snow on the mountains melts. An exception among Afghan rivers, the Kabul River, maintains a steady flow year-round. It flows east into Pakistan to merge into the Indus River. The longest river in Afghanistan, the Helmand River, originates in the Central Hindu Kush mountains. The river flows past the south-west region of the country, ending in Iran. Rising in central Afghanistan, the Harirud River moves west and north-west to the border with Iran. The water of the Harirud River is used extensively for irrigation purposes in the Herat region.