Afghanistan’s Ministry of Energy and Water says 24 small and large dams across the country are either operating or nearing completion. Officials say the projects are intended to support hydropower generation, irrigation and management of seasonal water supplies.
The ministry has also pointed to continuing work on major projects including Bakhshabad and other dams and canals. The count of 24 is an official figure, and individual projects differ widely in size, storage capacity and stage of construction.
Dams can store water for dry periods, regulate flows and support agriculture, but storage capacity is only one part of water security. Watershed protection, canal maintenance, efficient irrigation and accurate measurement of available water also affect how much water reaches farms and communities.
Afghanistan’s exposure to drought and highly variable rainfall makes the performance of each project important. Future assessment will depend on completed storage capacity, electricity generation where applicable, irrigated land and how reliably water can be managed through dry and wet seasons.