LocationsAdapting to a Changing Climate
June 4, 2026
Afghanistan
Afghanistan ranks among the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries. Climate change threatens lives and livelihoods by reducing crop yields and driving more frequent and severe natural disasters.
Since 1950, temperatures have risen by approximately 1.8 °C, fueling deadly floods, droughts, avalanches, and snowstorms that now affect over 200,000 people annually. Prolonged droughts stem from declining rainfall, while faster summer ice melt triggers devastating floods. After decades of conflict and chronic underinvestment, many communities remain ill-equipped to cope.
Countries like Afghanistan have contributed the least to global warming yet bear its heaviest costs.
Adapting to a Changing Climate
At the sharp end of the climate crisis in Afghanistan are those who experience disasters such as drought and floods. From February to July 2025, heavy rain and flash floods caused dozens of deaths and injuries across Afghanistan. Thousands were displaced, and homes and farmlands were destroyed along with infrastructure and livelihoods.
Floods not only cause devastating damage and loss of life, but they are also a long-term driver of poverty. With canals and irrigation systems destroyed, farmers lose entire harvests, which undermines food security and pushes families into debt.
UNDP works with communities to manage disaster risk, helping people assess the risk of climate hazards like floods and receive timely early-warning information.
For many years, residents of Kandaharian and Badarkhil villages in Nejrab district of Kapisa province have faced numerous challenges due to flooding. Each spring, their farmlands were damaged by floods and heavy rainfall. As agriculture is their primary source of income, they were forced to find ways to survive despite these hardships.
In response to this urgent need, UNDP, through the ABADEI project funded by JICA, constructed a 60-meter irrigation canal and a 63-meter protection wall in Badarkhil, and built another 44-meter protection wall along with a 17-meter weir in Kandaharian village.
The project was successfully completed in April 2025 and now provides access to irrigation water for people in 25 villages of Nejrab district in Kapisa. Overall, 80,000 individuals, including 28,800 women and 24,000 children, are benefitting.
“Every year, floods destroy the irrigation canal, and we have to collect money from the residents to rebuild it. It costs between 35,000 to 40,000 AFN (between $350 and $450), and with agriculture being our only source of income, it’s extremely difficult for us to afford that amount,” says Rahmuddin Sherzai, head of Badarkhil village.
Nature-Based Solutions for Climate Resilience
As well as man-made structures like flood walls, there are also natural solutions that protect communities from disasters while providing sustainable livelihoods.
In Nangarhar province in eastern Afghanistan, frequent flooding is a regular issue.
“Every year, the floods come, destroying homes, roads, and crops,” says 45-year-old Abdul Aziz, a resident of the Samar Khail Araban camp. “You never know when everything will be swept away.”
UNDP faced the challenge of building climate resilience infrastructure that could shield people and their assets from floods while creating sustainable economic opportunities for the future.
They turned to a nature-based solution: afforesting the area with jujube trees (Ziziphus mauritiana), a hardy species known for its drought tolerance and flood resilience.
Jujube trees thrive in arid and semi-arid environments, making them particularly suited for the harsh conditions of Nangarhar. Their deep root systems help stabilize the soil, preventing erosion and reducing the risk of landslides during the monsoon season.
“When the rains come, these trees absorb the excess water, preventing the floods from sweeping away everything,” explains Abdul Aziz. “We can already see the difference.”
Beyond their environmental benefits, jujube trees offer a key economic opportunity. The fruit is not only nutritious but can be sold in local markets, providing a source of income for households.
In Behsood district, Nangarhar, newly planted jujube trees are bringing life back to the land.
Adaptive Agriculture
As the climate changes, farmers must adapt to the reality of unstable water supplies and grow crops that are resilient enough to thrive at higher temperatures.
UNDP works with farmers and entrepreneurs to adopt climate-resilient practices: methods and technologies that enable successful harvests even under challenging conditions.
In the village of Sarband, in Kandahar in southern Afghanistan, grape farming is the main livelihood for many families. Kefayatullah Maiwand, a 35-year-old dedicated farmer, has been tending his vineyard for over 15 years, just as his father and grandfather did before him.
Despite his commitment, years of traditional farming methods and limited resources meant his family struggled to make ends meet. Inadequate access to high-quality farm inputs and modern farming practices led to poor harvests and heavy losses.
UNDP, with support from partners, provided him with a comprehensive package of quality inputs such as fertilizers, as well as modern equipment and training focused on improving pre- and post-harvest agricultural practices.
Before this intervention, Kefayatullah lost nearly 9% of his grape harvest during harvesting alone. After adopting the new practices and using the tools supplied by ACRP, his losses dropped dramatically to just 3%. This not only boosted his vineyard’s productivity but also strengthened his family’s financial situation.
“Before, I used to lose a large part of my harvest because of poor tools and handling,” Kefayatullah reflects. “Now, with the support I received from UNDP, I can deliver better-quality grapes to the market and earn more income for my family.”
Dealing with Drought
Drought is a serious issue in Afghanistan.
In Guldara District near Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, drought had cut river flows by up to 40% and ancient canals had become dilapidated. UNDP, supported by the Government of Japan, created new infrastructure: in Shamir-e-Bala, a 385-meter stone masonry canal now irrigates 180 jeribs (≈36 ha); in Jalwani-e-Bala, 306 meters of new canal plus 146 meters rehabilitated serve 200 jeribs; in Mahiper, a 302-meter canal opened 1,000 jeribs (≈200 ha) to cultivation. Together, these upgrades benefitted about 2,500 households, increased yields by 25–40%, and doubled fruit harvests in some places.
“We used to dig with our hands. Now, water reaches every corner of our fields,” says Abdul Latif, a local farmer.
In Noorzai village in Baghlan province, five neighboring villages now share the reborn canal: 160 meters long, 1.8 meters tall, and 1.5 meters wide. It carries year-round water to hundreds of hectares, enabling crops like wheat, corn, rice, beans, melons, potatoes, and tomatoes. 1,330 households benefit directly. The result: fields producing, children back in school, and families choosing to stay rather than leave.
Transitioning to Clean Energy
After decades of conflict, Afghanistan remains one of the most energy-insecure nations in the world. Afghanistan’s low energy consumption, at 700 kWh per capita annually, underscores severe development obstacles, being 30 times below the global average.
In Afghanistan, the energy transition is not only about decarbonization. It is about dignity, livelihoods and survival. With only 35% of households connected to the grid and rural women walking long distances to collect firewood, access to clean and reliable electricity is a social and gender justice imperative.
Dependence on solid fuels for energy needs in rural areas poses severe health risks due to indoor air pollution and limits development opportunities, especially for women and girls.
To address this situation, UNDP is providing renewable energy solutions at scale across Afghanistan. Since 2021, UNDP’s energy initiatives have installed solar PV systems in more than 6,000 facilities, including 5,420+ health centres, 800+ schools and 850+ businesses, bringing reliable electricity to underserved and rural areas.
These renewable energy interventions have reduced more than 33,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually, avoided more than 12 million litres of diesel use per year, and improved healthcare, education and economic stability for millions of people.
More than two million Afghan women now have access to cleaner, safer and more sustainable energy, enabling new economic opportunities and better health outcomes.
Following the 2025 Kunar earthquake, UNDP’s early recovery response also prioritized solar home systems and the rehabilitation of micro-hydropower plants to restore electricity in off-grid communities.
Powering Healthcare
Meanwhile, Paktika province in southeastern Afghanistan has long suffered from a severe lack of critical infrastructure, including electricity access. Urgun District Hospital, located in this district, struggled with unreliable electricity for a long time, as it remains disconnected from the national power grid.
The inadequate power supply led to frequent blackouts that severely affected hospital operations. Doctors and medical staff often found themselves in the middle of life-saving procedures when the power would suddenly cut off, risking patient safety and compromising the quality of care.
UNDP installed a 100 kW solar PV power system with battery energy storage at the hospital. This transformative upgrade now ensures electricity coverage for all hospital departments, from powering lighting in operating rooms to running diagnostic machines and vaccine refrigerators. The hospital now benefits from reliable, 24-hour electricity, providing uninterrupted, quality medical services.
Reliable solar electricity now powers maternity wards, emergency rooms and vaccine cold chains, enabling safer deliveries, improved care and stronger health outcomes.
“Before, babies like this could be lost because the electricity would fail,” says Sharifa, a 30-year-old nurse in the delivery ward, as she ministers to a weeks-old baby. “Now, we can give them a real chance for survival,” she says.
Overall, solarization projects in hospitals like these have benefitted nearly 601,000 people across the country.
Under the SESEHA project, solar systems in 106 health facilities and 241 schools now provide reliable power to over 1.87 million people, 61% of whom are women. Through SESEHA, installed solar systems generate 4,948 kW, reduce 7,264 tCO₂, save 2.58 million litres of diesel annually and create 3,664 labour days.
Using Energy to Strengthen the Private Sector
As well as providing energy to public facilities like hospitals and schools, UNDP is also supporting businesses with renewable energy.
Through ABADEI and SME support, solar-powered businesses in agro-processing, garments and cold storage are reducing operational costs, securing jobs for returnees and women, and improving product quality.
In central Kabul, at one of Afghanistan’s most iconic historical sites, Babur Gardens (Bagh-e Babur), UNDP’s ABADEI project installed 20 solar panels in the women’s market. These panels now provide 10.8 kilowatts of clean, uninterrupted electricity to nearly a dozen shops. A committee of three shopkeepers, both men and women, was formed to manage the system and oversee electricity sales. Revenue is saved in a joint account for maintenance and repairs, and shopkeepers have been trained to operate and maintain the system.
“This summer, I’ll finally be able to bring in my sewing machine and start producing summer clothes, something I couldn’t do before,” says Amina, one of the women entrepreneurs who works at the market. With reliable electricity, she can now expand her production and pursue her dream of becoming a successful businesswoman in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan’s case shows that energy transitions must be community-driven, gender-inclusive and livelihood-oriented. Renewable energy must be clean and affordable, but also transformative for people and communities.
The examples here are just a sampling of the work UNDP is doing in climate in Afghanistan. Working in every part of the country, UNDP is helping the country navigate the challenges presented by climate change. As the world gathers in Brazil to agree on the actions needed to address the climate crisis, UNDP is on the ground in Afghanistan, ensuring that the most vulnerable are not left behind.
