List of dams and reservoirs in Afghanistan explained

Dams and reservoirs in Afghanistan are used for irrigation, water supply, hydro-electric power generation or a combination of these.^[1] The Afghan government continues to seek technical assistance from neighboring and regional countries to build more dams.^{[2] [3]} Below is a map and a chart showing some of Afghanistan's dams and reservoirs.

Location map of major dams and reservoirs in Afghanistan

List of major dams and reservoirs in Afghanistan

Dam	Location	Impounds	Purpose		data-sort-type=number	Storage capacity	Height (m)	Length (m)	data-sort-type=number		Year Completion
Ayno Maina Dam	Kandahar, Kandahar Province		Irrigation	Embankment
	Bamyan Province		Irrigation	Embankment
Bakhshabad Dam	Bala Buluk District, Farah Province	Farah River	Hydroelectricity, Irrigation					27 MW	Under Construction	^[4] ^[5] ^[6] ^[7]
Chaki Wardak Dam	Chaki Wardak District, Maidan Wardak Province	Logar River	Irrigation						1938	Oldest modern dam
	Shah Wali Kot District, Kandahar Province	Arghandab River	Irrigation	Embankment					1952
Darunta Dam	Jalalabad, Nangarhar Province	Kabul River	Hydroelectricity, Irrigation	Gravity				11.5 MW	1960
Grishk Dam	Grishk District, Helmand Province		Hydroelectricity, Irrigation	Embankment					1945
	Kajaki District, Helmand Province		Hydroelectricity, Irrigation	Embankment	1,715,000,000 m^3 (1,390,373 acre⋅ft)			151 MW	1953	^[8] ^[9]
Kamal Khan Dam	Chahar Burjak District, Nimruz Province	Helmand River	Hydroelectricity, Irrigation	Embankment		16 m	2.274 km	9 MW	2021	^[10] ^[11]
Machalgho Dam	Ahmad Aba District, Paktia Province		Hydroelectricity, Irrigation					0.8 MW	Under construction	^[12]
Mahipar Dam	Kabul Province	Logar River	Hydroelectricity					66 MW	1967	^[13] ^[14]
Mialkoh Dam	Kandahar, Kandahar Province		Irrigation	Embankment					2024	^[15]
Naghlu Dam	Surobi District, Kabul Province	Kabul River	Hydroelectricity	Gravity	550,000,000 m3 (445,892 acre⋅ft)	110 m (361 ft)	280 m (919 ft)	100 MW	1968	^[16]
Nahr Gawkush Dam	Kunduz Province	Khanabad River	Hydroelectricity, Irrigation	Gravity				10 MW		^[17]
Nawur Dam	Nawur District, Ghazni Province		Irrigation	Gravity						^[18]
Pashdan Dam	Karukh District, Herat Province	Hari River	Hydroelectricity, Irrigation	Embankment				2 MW	Under Construction	^[19] ^[20] ^[21]
Qargha Dam	Kabul Province	Paghman River	Irrigation	Embankment	32,800,000 m^3	30 metres (98 ft)	450 m (1,480 ft)	N/A	1933
Salma Dam	Chishti Sharif District, Herat Province	Hari River	Hydroelectricity, Irrigation	Embankment (earth & rock-fill)	633,000,000 m^3 (513,181 acre⋅ft)	107.5 m (353 ft)	551 m (1,808 ft)	42 MW	2016	^[22]
Sangjoy-Loman Dam	Jaghori District, Ghazni Province		Hydroelectricity, Irrigation	Gravity					Under construction
Sarda Dam	Andar District, Ghazni Province	Gardez River	Irrigation		259,000,000 m^3 (209,975 acre⋅ft)				1967
Shahtoot Dam	Char Asiab District, Kabul Province	Kabul River	Irrigation	Gravity					Under Construction	^[23] ^[24]
Shah wa Arus Dam	Shakardara District, Kabul Province	Shakardara River	Hydroelectricity, Irrigation	Gravity	180,000 m^3 (146 acre⋅ft)	75 m (246 ft)		1.2MW	2023	^[25]
Shorabak Dam	Fayzabad District, Badakhshan Province	Kokcha River	Hydroelectricity	Gravity				7.5 MW	2021	^[26] ^[27]
Sukhtook Dam	Nili District, Daykundi Province	Lazier River	Hydroelectricity, Irrigation	Gravity				0.7 MW	2021	^[28] ^[29]
	Zana Khan District, Ghazni Province	Ghazni River	Irrigation	Gravity					10th Century
Surkhab Dam	Logar Province
Surobi Dam	Surobi District, Kabul Province	Kabul River	Hydroelectricity	Gravity				22.8MW		^[30]
Tori Dam	Qalat District, Zabul Province		Hydroelectricity, Irrigation	Gravity			25	0.1 MW	Under Construction	^[31]

Major dams reported to be under construction in various parts of Afghanistan

• Agha Jan Dam in Uruzgan Province.^{[32] [33] [34]}
• Bagh Dara Dam in Kapisa Province.^{[35] [36]}
• Dahan Dara Dam in Faryab Province.^[37]
• Kharwar Dam in Logar Province.^[38]
• Kunar Dam in Surtak in Kunar Province.^{[39] [40]}
• Lawari Dam in Kandahar Province.^[41]
• Manogi Power Dam in Kunar Province.^{[42] [43]}
• Palto Dam in Sharana, Paktika Province.^[44]
• Sultan Ibrahim Dam in Sar-e Pol Province.^{[45] [33] [32]}
• Two dams in Baghlan Province.^[46] One is named Pul-e-Khumri Dam.^[47]

See also

• List of rivers of Afghanistan
• Water supply in Afghanistan
• Energy in Afghanistan
• International rankings of Afghanistan
• Environmental issues in Afghanistan
• List of tallest buildings and structures in Afghanistan

External links

• News: More than 150 check dams to be constructed this year: MoWE . 16 April 2024.
• News: Badakhshan lakes attractive tourist points: Official . Pajhwok Afghan News . 24 July 2023.
• News: 5 check dams costing 35m afs inaugurated in Wardak . Pajhwok Afghan News . 13 March 2023.
• News: 44 irrigation dams to be built this fiscal year: NWARA . Pajhwok Afghan News . 20 March 2021.
• News: Survey, design of 1,400 water projects completed: NWARA . Pajhwok Afghan News . 21 January 2021.
• News: 21 hydropower dams in the pipeline . Pajhwok Afghan News . 4 February 2017.

Notes and References

1. Web site: India's Controversial Afghanistan Dams. The Diplomat. August 20, 2018. 2019-04-01.
2. News: China Ready to Invest in Energy Sector in Afghanistan . Bakhtar News Agency . January 1, 2023 . 2023-01-01.
3. News: China Interested to Invest in Afghanistan's Energy Sector . Khaama Press . January 1, 2023 . 2023-01-01.
4. News: Practical work starts on Bakhshabad dam in Farah province . Ariana News . May 20, 2023 . 2023-07-10.
5. News: Work on Construction of Farah's Bakhshabad Dam Begins . TOLOnews . 22 May 2023. 2023-07-10.
6. News: Work on Bakhshabad Dam's diversion tunnels begins . Pajhwok Afghan News . 20 May 2023. 2023-07-10.
7. News: Work On Bakhshabad Dam In Afghanistan's Farah Province Started . Khaama Press . May 21, 2023. 2023-07-10.
8. News: Kajaki Dam power generation capacity surges to 151MW . Pajhwok Afghan News . 27 July 2022 . 2023-01-01.
9. News: Second Phase of Kajaki Power Dam Completed . TOLOnews. 27 July 2022 . 2023-01-01.
10. News: Afghanistan successfully tests water flow at major dam. Anadolu Agency. 4 January 2021. 2021-02-04.
11. News: Water Intake Begins at Kamal Khan Dam. TOLOnews. 4 January 2021. 2021-02-04.
12. News: Paktia residents urge completion of Machalgho dam project . Pajhwok Afghan News . 4 July 2023 . 2023-07-10.
13. Web site: Mahipar. energypedia.info. 17 September 2018.
14. Web site: Mahipar Hydroelectric Power Plant. globalenergyobservatory.org. 17 September 2018.
15. (RTA Pashto, April 16, 2024)
16. News: Naghlu dam power output doubles to 100mw. Pajhwok Afghan News. April 21, 2019. 2019-04-21.
17. News: Hydroelectric Project Inaugurated In Kunduz . TOLOnews . 18 June 2016 . 2023-01-01.
18. (at 6:25)
19. News: Work on Pashdan Dam Has Resumed, Says Project Head . TOLOnews. 29 May 2023. 2023-07-10.
20. News: 3 Security Force Members Killed in Attack on Herat Dam . TOLOnews. 16 March 2021. 2021-03-16.
21. (Ariana Television Network, January 2019)
22. News: At Afghan dam inauguration, PM promises: India will not forget you. indianexpress.com. 5 June 2016. 17 September 2018.
23. News: India, Afghanistan Sign Agreement to Build Dam . TOLOnews. 9 February 2021. 2021-02-15.
24. News: India's Controversial Afghanistan Dams . The Diplomat . August 20, 2018 . 2021-02-15.
25. News: Work onKey Dam in North of Kabul to Be Completed In Spring: MoEW . TOLOnews . January 18, 2023 . 2023-07-10.
26. News: Afghanistan completes key hydropower project. Anadolu Agency. 22 June 2021. 2022-11-21.
27. News: Construction of Shorabak Power Dam To Utter in 3 Months. Khaama Press. 22 September 2020. 2021-02-04.
28. News: Sokhtook Dam To Provide Electricity To 2000 Families In Daikundi. Bakhtar News Agency. February 21, 2018. 2021-02-15.
29. News: Ghani: Pursuing Nation Building . Daily Outlook Afghanistan. February 11, 2018. 2021-02-15.
30. Web site: Sarobi Dam. industryabout.com. 17 September 2018.
31. News: Work on Tori Dam in Zabul Has Begun . TOLOnews . 14 October 2022 . 2022-11-21.
32. News: Work on Dams in Sar-e-Pul, Uruzgan to Begin Soon: Officials . TOLOnews . 30 July 2023 . 2023-08-04.
33. News: Construction of Sar-e-Pul and Uruzgan dams to start soon . Ariana News . July 30, 2023 . 2023-08-04.
34. News: Uruzgan residents urge construction of Agha Jan Dam . Pajhwok Afghan News . 4 May 2022 . 2023-08-04.
35. News: India Interested to Invest in Kapisa's Bagh Dara Dam . Ariana Television Network . April 19, 2018 . 2023-01-01.
36. News: Ghani approves major projects at High Economic Council meeting . wadsam.com . 6 April 2016 . 2023-01-01.
37. News: 4 years on, practical work on Dahan Dara Dam yet to begin . 3 December 2020 . Pajhwok Afghan News.
38. News: Reconstruction works at Logar's Kharwar dam resume . 10 April 2024 . Pajhwok Afghan News.
39. News: World Bank to Finance Electric Dam Project in Kunar River . TOLOnews . 22 April 2013 . 2023-01-01.
40. News: Joint dam on Kunar River being mulled . Pajhwok Afghan News . 23 August 2013.
41. News: Newly-built dam inaugurated in drought-hit Arghistan . Pajhwok Afghan News . 16 December 2020.
42. News: Construction work on Kunar's Managi power dam launched . 15 November 2013.
43. News: Residents urge govt to build big dam on Kunar River . Pajhwok Afghan News . 11 June 2016.
44. News: Work on Paktika's Palto Dam kicks off . Pajhwok Afghan News . 14 December 2020.
45. News: Sultan Ibrahim dam to irrigate 55,000 hectares of land . Pajhwok Afghan News . 31 July 2023 . 2023-08-04.
46. News: Baghlan hydropower dams being reconstructed . Pajhwok Afghan News . 8 April 2013.
47. News: Agreements Signed to Rebuild Kandahar, Baghlan Dams . TOLOnews . 6 December 2017.