RASC News Agency: On World Water Day, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) issued a stark warning that climate change is posing a severe threat to Afghanistan’s glaciers, endangering the country’s water resources and agricultural sustainability. In a statement released on Saturday, March 22, the FAO underscored that Afghanistan’s agricultural sector and food production are heavily reliant on glacial meltwater. However, rapid glacier retreat due to rising temperatures now jeopardizes this critical resource. The organization urged that glacier preservation be prioritized as a core component of Afghanistan’s climate adaptation strategies.
The FAO further noted that Afghanistan’s glaciers are melting at an alarming rate, accelerating the country’s vulnerability to water shortages, desertification, and food insecurity. According to United Nations reports, Afghanistan is among the nations most severely affected by climate change, grappling with extreme environmental challenges. Meanwhile, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Afghanistan has revealed that nearly 33 million people lack access to clean drinking water, identifying water scarcity as one of the country’s most urgent humanitarian crises.
March 22, observed annually as World Water Day, serves as a global reminder of the growing crisis surrounding water resources and the dire consequences of their depletion. Projections indicate that by 2025, Afghanistan will face worsening drought conditions, intensifying water shortages, and further destabilizing its already fragile agricultural sector posing a severe threat to food security and millions of livelihoods across the country.
