The effects of urbanization on the groundwater system of the Kabul shallow aquifers, Afghanistan

Abstract

The capital city of Afghanistan, Kabul, has experienced rapid urbanization since the end of 2001. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of rapid urbanization on the Kabul aquifer system, which is the main source of water for domestic, agricultural and industrial use in the area. Satellite imagery, groundwater levels and rainfall historical data were analyzed in conjunction with physico-chemical parameters that were measured at 27 water wells located in the Kabul Plain in 2020. Land-cover maps indicate that the urban surface area increased by 40% between 2000 and 2020, whilst the agricultural surface area simultaneously decreased by 32%. Meanwhile the Kabul Plain has globally experienced a severe decrease in groundwater levels (-0.8 m/year on average, and a fall of 60 m in some places) due to overabstraction, which has also seen changes in groundwater flow directions. Hydrochemistry, on the other hand, reveals that chloride concentrations and salinity increased throughout the aquifer between 2005 and 2020, while the nitrate concentration decreased in most places of the Kabul Plain over the considered period. The results suggest that rapid urbanization has had serious detrimental effects on both groundwater quantity and quality. Without urgent preventive policy and the implementation of effective practices, groundwater resource depletion and groundwater quality deterioration in the Kabul shallow aquifers are likely to continue in the future.

Assessing the Impacts of Landuse-Landcover (LULC) Dynamics on Groundwater Depletion in Kabul, Afghanistan’s Capital (2000–2022): A Geospatial Technology-Driven Investigation

“…Notably, these land cover changes coincided with a decline in groundwater levels across the city. Over the entire study period , urban areas within Kabul City expanded by a significant 70%, particularly within Districts 5,6,7,11,12,13,15,17,and 22. Furthermore, predictions based on the CA-Markov model, considering the current LULC patterns, suggest a continued expansion of built-up areas over the next two decades.…”

Identification and apportionment of groundwater nitrate sources in Chakari Plain (Afghanistan)

“…The lowest and highest points in the Chakari Basin are 2,050 m and 3,300 m, respectively. The Chakari Basin is characterized by a semi-arid climate with an average yearly precipitation 315 mm (Zaryab et al, 2021). The air temperature in the in the investigated area varies from a mean monthly low of -9°C in January to an average monthly high of 32 °C in July (Zaryab et al, 2017).…”

Determination of Groundwater Storage Variation, Deficit, and Abstraction in Afghanistan and the Assessment of the Evolution of Vadose Zone in Kabul City

“…Currently, groundwater is extracted sporadically throughout Afghanistan using diesel motors, electrical submersibles, and solar pumps, mainly for irrigation purposes, with unrestricted extraction by NGOs, farmers, opium planters, warlords, and the corporate sector [12]. Recent studies have represented dramatic water stress in Kabul and the country with short-term droughts [12]- [14]. Minimal studies on Afghanistan related to 2 Terrestrial Water Storage (TWS) and water resources availability have been conducted.…”