Water Rights: An Assessment of Afghanistan's Legal Framework Governing Water for Agriculture
Publisher: UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan
Date: 2016
Topics: Governance, Renewable Resources
Countries: Afghanistan
“Water is the lifeblood of the people of Afghanistan, not just for living but also for the economy, which has traditionally been dominated by agriculture.” Nearly “80% of Afghanistan’s population derive their livelihood from the agriculture sector.” And, agriculture remains one of Afghanistan’s principal growth sectors.
But, decades of conflict combined with deteriorating infrastructures and prolonged droughts have hindered the agricultural sector’s ability to advance. Agricultural development remains largely dependent on weather conditions in any given year. The vast majority (82%) of water for agriculture is derived from surface water sources, which rise or fall depending on rainfall or snowmelt. The remaining 18% is from groundwater sources, which are experiencing rapidly decreasing water levels.
Constraints on the natural supply of water are exacerbated by structural inefficiencies that fail to adequately harness water sources and maximize utilization for agricultural output. Years of conflict have destroyed or disrupted maintenance of Afghanistan’s centuries-old irrigation systems, thereby reducing overall efficiency and hindering economic development of the agricultural sector.