Afghanistan's Ministry of Energy and Water says 24 small and large dams are either operational or nearing completion. Officials say the projects are being used for hydropower generation, irrigation and broader water-resource management.
The ministry has also pointed to ongoing work on projects including Bakhshabad, Paltuni and Shaflogh, as well as major canal schemes. The figure of 24 is an official ministry count.
Dam numbers alone do not determine water security. Storage capacity, annual snow and rainfall, irrigation efficiency, groundwater conditions, canal maintenance and local distribution all affect how much water reaches farms and communities.
For electricity, dams can increase domestic generation, but actual output depends on water flows, installed turbines, transmission lines and grid conditions. The practical value of the programme will therefore be better measured through annual power generation, irrigated land, storage performance and reliable delivery rather than project counts alone.