Afghanistan’s Water Plans Complicated by Worried Neighbors

Mar 20, 2017 | Elizabeth B. Hessami
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More than 40 years ago, the Soviet Union attempted to harness hydropower to modernize Afghanistan. Between 1960 and 1968, they poured money and technical knowledge into the 100-meter Naghlu gravity dam outside Kabul and a village for its workers called Sharnak. Although the town has been damaged and the boons of modernity remain elusive for many Afghans, the dam remains a crucial source of power for the capital and is the largest power plant in the country with an installed capacity of 100 megawatts.

Today, as Afghanistan continues its development with hopes of a brighter future, issues of water management and governance are once again rising to the fore. Industries that are crucial to Afghanistan’s economic growth, such as agriculture and mining, depend on effective water supplies, while a number of factors are increasing stress, including climate change, mismanagement, and population surges as refugees return home.