U.S. scientists aim to improve Afghanistan's water use

Afghanistan suffers from severe water shortages.

Colorado State University researchers will help Afghanistan manage its limited water supply and develop an agriculture research system as part of a three-year, $5.5 million USAID grant.

Afghanistan, where the infrastructure has been hobbled by three decades of conflict and war, suffers from water shortages due to limited fresh water resources, inefficient use of aquifers and river basins, and mounting human needs. An estimated 90 percent of Afghanistan’s water goes toward agricultural use, according to USAID, and the country suffers from limited regulation.

The project team will assess the needs of the rural sector and develop policy and strategic plans for water use and water rights. Team members will teach local Afghanis about new technology that can increase agricultural potential and establish an agricultural research-system structure.

The first goal is to identify the institutional structures currently in place, then work on policy development to manage water use and allocation, says Steve Davies, head of CSU's Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics and principle project investigator. "Training locals on how to increase their agricultural production will go a long way in establishing sustainable agricultural practices."

The research award is part of a larger, $19.8 million collaborative grant between New Mexico State University, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, and Colorado State University.