Why is Afghanistan’s hydroelectric potential difficult to develop?

Developing Afghanistan’s hydroelectric power potential is challenging due to several geographical and economic factors:

• Seasonal Flow Variability: The country’s streams and waterfalls exhibit extreme seasonal fluctuations. They are torrential in the spring as mountain snow melts, but flow becomes negligible during the summer months.1
• Infrastructure Costs: This uneven water flow necessitates the construction of costly dams and reservoirs to regulate supply, often in remote and difficult-to-access mountainous areas.1
• Limited Demand: Currently, there is negligible demand for electricity outside of large cities or industrial centers, which renders many potential hydroelectric projects unprofitable.1

While projects like the Kajakī Dam have been constructed to provide irrigation, flood control, and power, the development of such resources remains largely untapped across much of the country. Consequently, significant hydroelectric development has been concentrated primarily in the Kabul-Jalālābād region.12