Afghanistan

Location

Geographical region: Southern Asia, Asia
SDG region: SDG Central and Southern Asia
Least Developed Countries, Land Locked Developing Countries

Land

Total area: --- km²
Land area: 652,230 km²(2022)
Land use by sector: 59% agriculture, 2% forest and 39% other (2022)

People

Total population: 41,454,761 people (2023)
Population density: 62 people per km² (2022)
Urbanisation: 27% lives in urban areas and 73% lives in rural areas (2023)

Economy

Total GDP: 82,595,477,072 USD per year (2023)
GDP per capita: 1,992 USD per year (2023)
Value added by sector: 35% from agriculture, 47% from services and 14% from industry (2023)

SDG 6 snapshot in Afghanistan

Drinking water
31 % of the population in Afghanistan uses a safely managed drinking water service (SDG indicator 6.1.1, 2024)
Sanitation
25 % of the population in Afghanistan uses a safely managed sanitation service (SDG indicator 6.2.1a, 2024)
Hygiene
49 % of the population in Afghanistan has a handwashing facility with soap and water available at home (SDG indicator 6.2.1b, 2024)
Wastewater
6.06 % of domestic wastewater in Afghanistan is safely treated (2024), and ---% of industrial wastewater receives some treatment (---) (SDG indicator 6.3.1)
Water quality
--- % of monitored water bodies in Afghanistan has good ambient water quality (SDG indicator 6.3.2, 2023)
Efficiency
0.6 $/m<sup>3</sup> is the value added from the use of water by people and the economy in Afghanistan (SDG indicator 6.4.1, 2021)
Water stress
55 % of the renewable water resources in Afghanistan is being withdrawn, after taking into account environmental flow requirements (SDG indicator 6.4.2, 2021)
Water management
12 % is the degree of implementation of integrated water resources management in Afghanistan (SDG indicator 6.5.1, 2020)
Transboundary
--- % of transboundary basin area has an operational arrangement for water cooperation (SDG indicator 6.5.2, 2023)
Ecosystems
-41 % is the decrease in permanent surface water in Afghanistan in 2022, compared to baseline period 2000-2019 (SDG indicator 6.6.1)
Cooperation
67 m$ is the amount of water- and sanitation-related official development assistance received by Afghanistan in 2022 (SDG indicator 6.a.1)
Participation
+ is the number of sub-sectors (out of 6) with a high level of participation by communities in Afghanistan (SDG indicator 6.b.1, 2019)

Drinking water

6.1.1 Proportion of population using safely managed drinking water services in Afghanistan, progress over time

6.1.1 Proportion of population using safely managed drinking water services in Afghanistan, by service level and location (2024)

Sanitation and hygiene

6.2.1a Proportion of population using safely managed sanitation services in Afghanistan, progress over time

6.2.1a Proportion of population using safely managed sanitation services in Afghanistan, by service level and location (2024)

6.2.1b Proportion of population with a handwashing facility with soap and water available at home in Afghanistan, by service level and location (2024)

Water quality and wastewater

6.3.1 Proportion of wastewater flow (safely) treated in Afghanistan, by source (2024)

Change in 6.3.1 Proportion of wastewater flow (safely) treated > Domestic in Afghanistan, between 2022 and 2024, compared to other countries (and areas) in Southern Asia

Domestic wastewater flow generated, delivered to treatment, and safely treated in Afghanistan, by sanitation facility (2024)

Of the total domestic wastewater flow generated in Afghanistan, 5.2% comes from sewers, 20% from septic tanks and 75% from other sanitation facilities. The below chart shows how much of the generated flow from each sanitation facility type that is delivered to treatment and then safely treated.

6.3.2 Proportion of bodies of water with good ambient water quality in Afghanistan (2023), compared to other countries (and areas) in the region

Water use and scarcity

Water resources and withdrawal in Afghanistan, total and per capita

Long-term average annual precipitation in depth: 327 (mm/year) (2020)

Renewable water resources: 1,839 m3 per capita (2017)

Water withdrawal: 923 m3 per capita (2000)

Environmental flow requirements: % of the renewable water resources ()

6.4.2 Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources in Afghanistan, change over time, compared to other countries (and areas) in the region

6.4.1 Change in water-use efficiency over time in Afghanistan, by sector (2020)

Water-use efficiency for ‘Agriculture, forestry and fishing’ only takes into account the proportion of gross value added that comes from irrigated agriculture, since that activity is associated with water withdrawal (other activities are rain-fed).

6.4.1 Change in water-use efficiency over time in Afghanistan, progress over time, compared to other countries (and areas) in the region

Water resources management

6.5.1 Degree of integrated water resources management implementation (0-100) in Afghanistan, progress over time, by dimension

Very low (0-10) – Low (11-30) – Medium-low (31-50) – Medium-high (51-70) – High (71-90) – Very high (91-100)

6.5.2 Proportion of transboundary basin area with an operational arrangement for water cooperation in Afghanistan, progress over time, by component

Very low (0-10) – Low (11-30) – Medium-low (31-50) – Medium-high (51-70) – High (71-90) – Very high (91-100)

Change in permanent surface water extent compared to baseline period 2000-2019, in Afghanistan and other countries (and areas) in Southern Asia (data from 2017-2022)

Extent of water-related ecosystems in Afghanistan and change compared to baseline period 2000-2019, by ecosystem type (data from 2017-2021)

The total extent of water-related ecosystems in Afghanistan is 2,686 square kilometres, representing 0.41 % of its land area. The total extent of water-related ecosystems is made up of 0.084 % permanent lakes and rivers, 0.32% seasonal lakes and rivers, 0.0081 % reservoirs, 0 % inland vegetated wetlands and 0 % mangroves.

With the broad definition of wetlands used by the Ramsar Convention, Afghanistan has --- square kilometres of natural wetlands and --- square kilometres of human made wetlands.

Proportion of large lakes with high change in turbidity and trophic state in Afghanistan compared to baseline period 2006-2019 (data from 2017-2021)

In Afghanistan there are --- large lakes that are monitored, of which 9 % has a high increase in turbidity and 0 % has a high increase in trophic state, compared to the baseline period. Turbidity and trophic state are signs of water pollution and overfertilization.

15.1.2 Proportion of important sites for biodiversity that are covered by protected areas in Afghanistan and other countries (and areas) in Southern Asia, by ecosystem type (data from 2021)

International cooperation and capacity-building

6.a.1 Amount of water- and sanitation-related official development assistance received by Afghanistan, over time

6.a.1 Amount of water- and sanitation-related official development assistance received by Afghanistan in 2022, by sub-sector

Water and sanitation-related official development assistance includes water sector policy and governance, water supply, sanitation, water sector policy, water resources conservation, river basins development, waste management/disposal, education and training, agricultural water resources and hydroelectric power.

Afghanistan

Location

Land

People

Economy

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Drinking water

Sanitation

Hygiene

Wastewater

Water quality

Efficiency

Water stress

Water management

Transboundary

Ecosystems

Cooperation

Participation