Assessing Groundwater Overexploitation in Kabul City, Afghanistan: Challenges, Impacts, and the Path Toward Sustainable Management Through an Integrated Framework

Groundwater resources in Kabul City, Afghanistan, are experiencing critical stress due to overexploitation driven by rapid urbanization, population growth, and inadequate water management systems. This study highlights a rigorous and comprehensive assessment of groundwater overexploitation in the region, focusing on its causes, impacts, and long-term implications. Key challenges, including a dramatic decline in water tables (from 2014 to 2023 annually about -1.8 m/year on average, and a drop of 70 m in some areas), rapid urbanization (increased 42% from 1985 to 2023), deteriorating water quality (NO₃ˉas dominant contaminants), the associated land subsidence phenomena (-5.3 cm annual from 2014 to 2019), the exacerbating effects of climate change (1 to 1.5 °C increase over recent decades) and weak governance frameworks are examined in depth. The analysis underscores the significant socioeconomic and environmental consequences of unsustainable groundwater use and highlights the urgent need for coordinated interventions.

An integrated framework for sustainable groundwater management is proposed to address these challenges. The framework encompasses technical measures such as artificial aquifer recharge, treatment and enhancement of surface water usage, climate-adaptive water-use strategies, and advanced groundwater monitoring technologies. These are complemented by institutional reforms, policy development, and active stakeholder participation to enhance governance and accountability. By integrating multidisciplinary approaches with community engagement, the framework aims to promote equitable, efficient, and resilient groundwater management practices that mitigate the impacts of over-extraction and climate change.

This research contributes to advancing the understanding of groundwater management in arid and semi-arid regions and offers practical insights for policymakers and water resource managers. The findings provide actionable strategies to address the dual crises of groundwater overexploitation and climate change in Kabul City and other vulnerable regions worldwide.