When the Water Runs Dry
Publisher: Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit
Author(s): David Mansfield
Date: 2020
Topics: Assessment, Livelihoods, Programming, Renewable Resources
Countries: Afghanistan
What will happen to the 1.5 million desert settlers of southwest #Afghanistan? That is the question that When the Water Runs Dry, a report by the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit and funded by the #EU explores. The report, authored by #David_Mansfield notes that the number of solar pumps is doubling each year and is unsustainable. The desert settlers are the first to acknowledge the threat to their livelihoods and the environment, but where will they go and what will they do? The cities are overcrowded, with few opportunities. Europe tempts them and many are following in the footsteps of the thousands who have already made that perilous and long journey. We used satellite data and imagery from our partner, #Alcis to provide the analysis of the rapid increase of solar powered pumps in the desert. We also brought the report to life with a 4-minute video and The BBC ran an extensive story on what the heroin industry can teach us about solar power. The report and video can be found at https://areu.org.af/publication/2006/