Kabul City Groundwater and Need for Artificial Recharge

Abstract

The subject of this paper is the study of Kabul groundwater and need for artificial recharge. According to studies, water depth in Kabul city had significant decrease since 1963. As per observations done by AGS (Afghanistan Geological Survey) in cooperation with USGS (United States Geological Survey), groundwater level in central Kabul sub basin decreased up to 25 meters, which by continuation of this trend, Kabul city will face water shortages in the next few years. This study investigates the reason of lowering the ground water table and finding the appropriate methods for groundwater artificial recharge. In part of this study, amount of annual rainwater of Kabul city is calculated and compared with annual required water for Kabul city inhabitants. It was found that reasons for lowering groundwater levels are illegal drilling of deep wells, excessive use of groundwater to meet the needs of drinking, industrial, irrigation and agriculture purposes. Another major reason for reducing the amount of groundwater is a significant reduction in recharge process due to urbanization and reduction in rainfall amount. The immediate solution for the concerns of groundwater reduction is recharging the aquifer through rooftop rainwater. The findings of this study show that the the amount of water consumed in Kabul city is much higher than the amount of recharge water, and there is a serious need for the management of groundwater in Kabul to prevent future water losses.