The Kabul River Basin - the source of the Naglu and other reservoirs

Abstract

The article is devoted to the assessment and study of the Kabul river basin fed by 7 existing (Jabal-Saraj, Karga, Mahipar, Naglu, Sarubi, and Darunta) and numerous planned (including Gulbahor, Baghdara, Sarubi II, Kunar I, Kunar II, Shatut) reservoirs. The article discusses the Kabul basin's annual precipitation, land cover, and runoff. In addition, it sheds light on soil erosion and the concentration of river and reservoir sedimentation in the Kabul River Basin. Recommendations are also given for solving the problem of soil erosion and the siltation of reservoirs. There is very little data on the Kabul River and its basin due to the lack of detailed hydrological data. Most of the hydrological and meteorological posts did not function or were destroyed during the crisis in the country for about two decades, which led to little or no information on the river's hydrology during this period. Because of this problem, many organizations working in basin water management and designing new hydraulic structures face difficulties in properly planning and designing new hydraulic structures and reservoirs. As a result, most researchers, planners, and designers use old data with a limited observation period, which is insufficient for adequate design and planning of hydraulic structures and other basin development projects. Due to four decades of unrest in the country, the watersheds of the Kabul Basin have been used without any rules or management, resulting in land degradation and watershed erosion. Three main problems, namely overgrazing in rangelands, rain-fed fields, and deforestation, have caused land degradation in the basin. In addition, the situation has been aggravated by the cutting of bushes for fuel in hilly and semi-hilly areas. The basin is overpopulated, and there are many industries in the major cities of the basin, which contributes to water pollution in the Kabul river. Despite water availability, due to a lack of proper planning, the major cities in the basin cannot use the basin's water for domestic needs. In cities like Kabul and Jalalabad, people mainly use groundwater, resulting in the continuous sinking of the groundwater level. For the proper management and development of the Kabul river basin, much work needs to be done, which may yield promising results for developing the country's economy and improving the environment in the Kabul basin region.