AKIPRESS.COM - Kabul could become the first modern city to completely run out of water, The Guardian reports, citing a report by the NGO Mercy Corps.

Water levels within Kabul's aquifers have dropped by up to 30 metres over the past decade. Almost half of the city's boreholes – the primary source of drinking water for Kabul residents – have dried out. If these trends continue, all of Kabul’s aquifers will run dry as early as 2030, posing an existential threat to the city's seven million inhabitants, according to the report. 

The water levels have dropped due to rapid urbanisation and climate breakdown. Water extraction currently exceeds the natural recharge rate by 44m cubic metres each year.

The report also highlights water contamination as another widespread challenge. Some households spend up to 30% of their income on water.

"There should be a committed effort to document this better and to draw international attention to the need to address the crisis. No water means people leave their communities, so for the international community to not address the water needs of Afghanistan will only result in more migration and more hardship for the Afghan people," Mercy Corps Afghanistan country director Dayne Curry said.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) noted this March that 33 million Afghans (the country's population is estimated to be over 40 million) are experiencing acute water shortages. The problems are caused by droughts, reduced precipitation, including snow, and rising temperatures. The ICRC is trying to help locals solve their water problems by upgrading pumps and installing filters for purification.