page_title: Water supply in Afghanistan
hierarchical_section_title: Water supply in Afghanistan
context_page_description: Water supply in Afghanistan is characterized by a number of achievements and challenges. Among the achievements are:
  the expansion of rural water supply infrastructure with the active participation of communities as part of the National Solidarity Program;
  the successful expansion of water supply in the city of Herat and towns such as Kunduz; and
  a reform of the institutional framework for urban water supply through the decentralization of service provision from an ineffective national agency to local utilities managed on the basis of commercial principles.
  Challenges include
  the tense security situation, especially in the south and east of the country, that limits the mobility of personnel;
  dilapidated infrastructure as a result of decades of war and neglect;
  a high level of non-revenue water estimated at about 40% including water use from illegal connections;
  inappropriate pipe materials such as asbestos-cement used for older pipes;
  a lack of qualified personnel;
  widespread poverty; and
  traditional social norms especially concerning the role of women.
  The latter make it hard, for example, to read meters within premises or to involve women in participatory processes.
context_section_description: Water supply in Afghanistan is characterized by a number of achievements and challenges. Among the achievements are:
  the expansion of rural water supply infrastructure with the active participation of communities as part of the National Solidarity Program;
  the successful expansion of water supply in the city of Herat and towns such as Kunduz; and
  a reform of the institutional framework for urban water supply through the decentralization of service provision from an ineffective national agency to local utilities managed on the basis of commercial principles.
  Challenges include
  the tense security situation, especially in the south and east of the country, that limits the mobility of personnel;
  dilapidated infrastructure as a result of decades of war and neglect;
  a high level of non-revenue water estimated at about 40% including water use from illegal connections;
  inappropriate pipe materials such as asbestos-cement used for older pipes;
  a lack of qualified personnel;
  widespread poverty; and
  traditional social norms especially concerning the role of women.
  The latter make it hard, for example, to read meters within premises or to involve women in participatory processes.
  In urban areas, additional challenges include:
  delays in the procurement of large works, due to a large extent to the absence of contractors with sufficient capacity to execute large works;
  the pollution of shallow groundwater because of a lack of sanitation; and
  poor service quality of piped water supply, including service interruptions that are partly caused by unreliable electricity supply.
caption: The flag of Afghanistan