Afghanistan inaugurated a newly constructed water canal in the northern Balkh province to irrigate around 31 square miles (8,000 hectares) of land in Dawlatabad District and adjoining areas, Mohammad Ibrahim, a provincial government official, announced on Saturday. The canal, financed by the UN Development Program at a cost of 20 million afghanis ($230,000), is intended to help develop the agriculture sector and increase agricultural production in the region. Last year, Abdul Ghani Baradar, the acting deputy prime minister in the Taliban-run government, inaugurated the first-ever major water canal project to irrigate large areas of land in the northern region – a 177-mile canal in Balkh province’s Qush Tepa District that irrigates more than 2,100 square miles (550,000 hectares) of land in Balkh and the neighboring Jowzjan and Faryab provinces.
Drought and water scarcity are major issues in Afghanistan’s northern Balkh province. The region is prone to dry conditions and experiences frequent droughts, which have a significant impact on the local population and their ability to access clean water. Many residents in the province rely on irrigation to grow crops and provide for their families, and a lack of water can lead to crop failure and food insecurity. In order to address these challenges, the Afghan government has implemented various initiatives to improve water management and conservation in the region. These include building new irrigation systems, promoting efficient water use practices, and constructing water storage facilities to help communities better prepare for drought conditions. Despite these efforts, the effects of drought on the people of Balkh province remain a significant concern, and finding long-term solutions to address water scarcity in the region remains a top priority.