Hydrogeology and Water Quality of the Chakari Basin, Afghanistan
Publisher: USGS
Author(s): Thomas J. Mack, Michael P. Chornack, Sarah M. Flanagan, and Ann T. Chalmers
Date: 2014
Topics: Assessment, Renewable Resources
Countries: Afghanistan
The hydrogeology and water quality of the Chakari Basin, a 391-square-kilometer (km2) watershed near Kabul, Afghanistan, was assessed by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Afghanistan Geological Survey to provide an understanding of the water resources in an area of Afghanistan with considerable copper and other mineral resources. Afghanistan’s mineral resources are a potential means of achieving economic growth that may greatly benefit the country’s stability. Water is needed not only to process the minerals but also to supply existing communities and the associated community growth that may accompany a developing mining economy. For the development of the mineral resources of an area to be sustainable and have minimal adverse effects, the quality and quantity of water in the streams and aquifers in the area must be assessed relative to the needs of both the local population and potential future mining activities