UNAMA: Drought and Water Scarcity Are the Biggest Threats in Afghanistan

 

Tawazon – The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) says drought and water scarcity are the most widespread threats facing Afghanistan as the country continues to suffer from the effects of climate change.

In a report published on Friday, June 5, marking World Environment Day, UNAMA said that more than half of Afghanistan’s population has been affected by drought and lack of water. The organization added that that prolonged drought has severely affected agriculture, which is the backbone of rural livelihoods in the country.

According to UNAMA, the provinces of Kandahar, Helmand, Nimroz, Zabul and Uruzgan are among the areas most affected by drought and water shortages.

The UN mission also said that repeated droughts,declining rainfall and illegal extraction of groundwater have pushed water systems close to collapse.

This comes as the United Nations continues to warn that Afghanistan is among the ten countries most vulnerable to climate change.

Along drought and water shortages, natural disasters such as floods continue to cause casualties and damage across the country.