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Overall, 57% of the Afghan population is using an improved source of drinking water (Table
7.1), including 82% in urban areas and 51% in rural areas. The situation in the Central
Highlands region is considerably worse than in other regions, with only 25% of the
population drinking water from an improved source (Table 7.1).
Tube wells or boreholes (improved sources) are the most common water source used for
drinking (21%), and surface water (an unimproved source) is the second most common
source (16%) in Afghanistan. The population s drinking water source varies strongly by
region. The first and second most commonly used source for drinking water are improved
sources in the South Eastern region, while they are unimproved sources in the Central
Highlands region.
In Afghanistan, the second most important source of drinking water is surface water (river,
stream, dam, lake, pond, canal, or irrigation channel), considered to be an unimproved
source of drinking water. Surface water is used particularly in the North Eastern region,
where 33% of the population relies on this source. In the Southern region, 27% of the
population uses unprotected wells and/or kariaz for drinking water, as unimproved sources.
Unprotected springs, a source that may be responsible for causing water-related diseases,
are used by 35% of the population in the Central Highlands Region. In the Western region,
20% of the population uses drinking water that is piped into their dwelling or into their yard
or plot. In the Central and Eastern regions, 5% and 7% respectively use water that is piped
into their dwellings. In contrast, only about 3% of those residing in the Southern region and
less than 1% of those in the Central Highlands, Northern and North Eastern regions have
water that is piped into their dwelling. Nationally, there is wide variation in the types of
sources used for drinking water (Figure 7.1).
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