Water: the blue thread of sustainability in rural Badghis
In neighbouring provinces in Badghis, Mark Calder finds one community looking forward to World Vision water provision, while another looks back on nearly a decade of improvement from a simple investment in clean water.
Little remains of the Chesma Sefid spring infrastructure after floods 25 years ago.
Little remains of the Chesma Sefid spring infrastructure after floods 25 years ago.
World Vision colleagues discuss the community's efforts to become self-sufficient with local leaders near Chesma Sefid.
World Vision colleagues discuss the community's efforts to become self-sufficient with local leaders near Chesma Sefid.
Carolyne Judith Amollo discusses crops and women's livelihoods with Maryam.
Carolyne Judith Amollo discusses crops and women's livelihoods with Maryam.
I’m shivering on the edge of a rural community in Mughur district of Badghis, half an hour’s drive north of the small provincial capital Qala-i-Naw. The land that rolls into the mist wears a thin veil of light green grass, admittedly more promise that verdant pasture, while in the stream beneath my feet, small fish dart past each other in sudden zigzags, reminiscent of the tuk-tuks outside our office in Herat, 12 hours’ drive to the south.
In the sleety drizzle it's clear that, among countless parched landscapes struggling through successive years of drought in Afghanistan, this place seems to have environmental advantages that many lack.
Local arbab (community leader) Ghulam Nabi is telling me what it’s like to live here, wrapped in a pato, the vast, heavy scarves that people wear against the winter weather.
"There used to be a spring here known as Cheshma Sefid which was destroyed by seasonal floods approximately twenty years ago. Following the destruction of this water source, our agricultural lands and orchards were severely affected and gradually dried up. This source had been a vital means of food production for our community, and its loss had significant consequences."
Today, those with land right next to the course of the stream can make a basic living from the land, but others go without. However it is hard to get support for the kind of rehabilitation that could transform this entire community.
Since the international withdrawal from Afghanistan, nearly five years ago, most development assistance was withdrawn, leaving emergency humanitarian aid as the only support for many communities. Here in Mughur, the consequences of this choice are starkly apparent. Right next to one farmer’s onion seed bed, which he tells us yielded 3,000 sacks of onions last year, testament to his resourcefulness in a challenging environment, we happen across a humanitarian food distribution. It’s clear this is a source as much of frustration as of relief to Ghulam Nabi.
"As a village elder, I made considerable efforts and approached government authorities to request the rehabilitation of water sources, so that we could resume proper use and restore our agricultural lands... I have continued to seek solutions under the current authorities as well...
"Some assistance provided by organisations, such as the distribution of flour, has been temporary and short-term, as it is consumed quickly. In contrast, rehabilitation projects represent a more fundamental and sustainable solution."
Alongside these efforts, village elders have encouraged the community to resume cultivation and work towards restoring their livelihoods, in the hope that rainfall will increase and the water source will be rehabilitated, allowing agricultural production to recover.
The unreliability of the water source is decisive for whether Maryam* and her family can grow enough of their own food, or whether they must receive food handouts.
“We do not have sheep or cows. Without livestock, it is very difficult for families like ours to earn an income. Sometimes we plant onions and potatoes, but even that is uncertain. If the harvest succeeds, we can eat. If it fails, we have nothing. We are facing many challenges because there is no work. We survive with whatever little we can find. Right now we have no livestock and no stable income.”
But for Maryam, there are opportunities that have been untapped.
“Women here have many skills. We know carpet weaving, sewing, and how to grow vegetables in home gardens. In the past we used sheep wool to weave carpets, and we had cows to make and sell qurut and butter. Now we have none of these. Everything has changed. The economy is weak, and many of the opportunities we once had are no longer available. If we had the resources again, we could work and support our families. The ability is there, but the opportunity is not.”
The situation reflects a reality across many rural communities in Afghanistan. Even where people have the will and the knowledge to improve their future, the systems that support long-term resilience are often fragile or incomplete. Meanwhile, last year, only 41% of the required humanitarian assistance for Afghanistan was raised. This means, many communities that need support are going without. And yet here, a community that could, with appropriate investment, stand on its own two feet, is home to families that can’t afford to eat.
This area of Badghis was previously the frontline of conflict and is affected by drought.
This area of Badghis was previously the frontline of conflict and is affected by drought.
But, an hour to the south of Mughur, we find reasons to take heart.
Nearly a decade ago, World Vision installed the first reverse osmosis water treatment system in Badghis in a picturesque village not far from the frontline that once divided government-controlled territory from insurgent areas.
Arbab Ismail tells me, “Before this water network was built, people had no safe source of water. We had no choice but to drink from the river, even though it was full of contamination. Some families stored rainwater for months in plastic tanks, and others dug pits in the ground lined with plastic to collect rain and snow. But that water also brought sickness. Nearly 50 to 60 per cent of people suffered from diarrhoea, kidney problems, and vomiting, especially during the summer.
The first reverse osmosis water system in the area was installed by World Vision in 2017.
The first reverse osmosis water system in the area was installed by World Vision in 2017.
“After the water purification system was installed, cases of diarrhoea almost disappeared. Many of the illnesses people faced for years were finally reduced. Today people understand the value of this water network because their health has improved and they no longer spend money on medicine.”
As is typical with such systems, in order to maintain the system, the village’s water management shura charged a small fee for users, about 10 cents (US) for 20 litres. Over time these added up and not only allowed the community to maintain the system, pay trained technicians, and keep the equipment running, but generate a surplus.
“We collect five Afghanis for every 20-litre container of water. That money helps us repair the system, replace filters, and keep the water flowing,” says the arbab.
With this they dug another well and construct an additional reservoir, expanding the water system’s capacity. Later, they invested in polytunnels, allowing farmers to grow crops more productively and extend their growing season.
Step by step, under the shadow of war, then despite the sudden withdrawal of development assistance, the community began building its own future.
“This system belongs to the people. If it stops working even for a single day, they call us immediately asking why the water has not reached their homes. Because the system belongs to the community, people hold me accountable. If something goes wrong, they expect it to be fixed."
As I stand talking to the arbab, I note that he’s asking us for nothing. He looks proudly on as children from the village ten minutes donkey-ride away arrive with their jerry cans.
What began as a relatively modest investment in clean water became a foundation for self-reliance, economic activity, and stronger local governance.
“This water network is not just a machine. It is health, dignity, and security for our community.”
World Vision colleagues and community leaders discuss the past ten years of impacts from the reverse osmosis system.
World Vision colleagues and community leaders discuss the past ten years of impacts from the reverse osmosis system.
So what?
Back in Mughur, with support from the Visser Fund and World Vision United States, World Vision Afghanistan has committed to apply these learnings to a new 'Place Based Initiative', an approach that recognises that water, livelihoods, health, and environmental protection are deeply connected. The plan is long-term and involves multiple initiatives, but at its centre is something relatively simple: repairing and strengthening the village’s water supply. Working with Ghulam Nabi and community members, this investment and patient collaboration will help the community manage its resources effectively, include at-risk families in enjoying the benefits of the land, and break the cycle of dependence.
WVA's WASH sector lead Carolyne Judith Amollo discusses agriculture with local farmers.
WVA's WASH sector lead Carolyne Judith Amollo discusses agriculture with local farmers.
The work will begin with rehabilitating the village's water supply and helping the landscape retain water more effectively. Local residents will be employed through cash-for-work programmes to build and maintain this infrastructure, creating income while investing in their own future.
As water becomes more reliable, opportunities begin to multiply. Farmers will receive support to improve agricultural production, women will be supported to develop income-generating activities, and communities will strengthen the local systems that connect production to markets. The aim is not simply to provide water, but to create the conditions for long-term resilience.
It’s clear as we leave Mughur that the advantage this community has is not only its spring, but a community willing to plan for the longer term, leaders showing initiative, and a spirit of partnership.
The lesson from these communities is straightforward. Humanitarian assistance remains essential in Afghanistan, but it cannot be the whole answer. In places where people have water, land, skills, and strong local leadership, relatively modest investments can help communities move beyond dependence and build lasting resilience.
The future of rural Afghanistan will not be secured through food distributions alone. In Badghis, the evidence is already in full flow. Yes, millions of Afghans are vulnerable, but communities like these are viable places for investment that can build a basis for children’s futures in rural Afghanistan.
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