Dams and reservoirs in Afghanistan are used for irrigation, water supply, hydro-electric power generation or a combination of these. [1] The Ministry of Energy and Water continues to build more dams. [2] [3] [4] [5]
Below is a map showing some of Afghanistan's major dams and reservoirs.
| Dam | Location | Impounds | Purpose | Dam type | Storage capacity | Height (m) | Length (m) | Power Gen. | Year completed | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ayno Maina Dam | Kandahar, Kandahar Province | Irrigation | Embankment | |||||||
| Band-e Amir | Bamyan Province | Irrigation | Embankment | |||||||
| Bakhshabad Dam | Bala Buluk District, Farah Province | Farah River | Hydroelectricity, irrigation | 27 MW | Under construction | [6] [7] [8] [9] | ||||
| Chaki Wardak Dam | Chaki Wardak District, Maidan Wardak Province | Logar River | Irrigation | 1938 | Oldest modern dam | |||||
| Dahla Dam | Shah Wali Kot District, Kandahar Province | Arghandab River | Irrigation | Embankment | 55 m (180 ft) | 535 m (1,755 ft) | 1952 | |||
| Darunta Dam | Jalalabad, Nangarhar Province | Kabul River | Hydroelectricity, irrigation | Gravity | 11.5 MW | 1960 | ||||
| Grishk Dam | Grishk District, Helmand Province | Helmand River | Hydroelectricity, irrigation | Embankment | 1945 | |||||
| Kajaki Dam | Kajaki District, Helmand Province | Helmand River | Hydroelectricity, irrigation | Embankment | 1,715,000,000 m3 (1,390,373 acre⋅ft) | 100 m (330 ft) | 270 m (890 ft) | 151 MW | 1953 | [10] [11] |
| Kamal Khan Dam | Chahar Burjak District, Nimruz Province | Helmand River | Hydroelectricity, irrigation | Embankment | 16 m (52 ft) | 2.274 km (1.413 mi) | 9 MW | 2021 | [12] [13] | |
| Machalgho Dam | Ahmad Aba District, Paktia Province | Hydroelectricity, irrigation | 0.8 MW | Under construction | [14] | |||||
| Mahipar Dam | Kabul Province | Logar River | Hydroelectricity | 66 MW | 1967 | [15] [16] | ||||
| Miankoh Dam | Kandahar, Kandahar Province | Irrigation | Embankment | 1,500,000 m (4,900,000 ft) | 9 m (30 ft) | 150 m (490 ft) | 2024 | [17] | ||
| Naghlu Dam | Surobi District, Kabul Province | Kabul River | Hydroelectricity | Gravity | 550,000,000 m3 (445,892 acre⋅ft) | 110 m (360 ft) | 280 m (920 ft) | 100 MW | 1968 | [18] |
| Nahr Gawkush Dam | Kunduz Province | Khanabad River | Hydroelectricity, irrigation | Gravity | 10 MW | [19] | ||||
| Nawur Dam | Nawur District, Ghazni Province | Irrigation | Gravity | [20] | ||||||
| Omari Dam | Qalat District, Zabul Province | Hydroelectricity, irrigation | Gravity | 2,900,000 m3 (2,351 acre⋅ft) | 25 m (82 ft) | 70 m (230 ft) | 0.1 MW | 2024 | [21] | |
| Paltuni Dam | Sharan District, Paktika Province | Gardez River | Hydroelectricity, irrigation | Embankment | 30 m (98 ft) | 260 m (850 ft) | 1 MW | 30% completed | [22] [23] | |
| Pashdan Dam | Karukh District, Herat Province | Hari River | Hydroelectricity, irrigation | Embankment | 42 m (138 ft) | 2 MW | 2025 | [24] | ||
| Qargha Dam | Kabul Province | Paghman River | Irrigation | Embankment | 32,800,000 m3 (26,591 acre⋅ft) | 30 m (98 ft) | 450 m (1,480 ft) | N/A | 1933 | |
| Salma Dam | Chishti Sharif District, Herat Province | Hari River | Hydroelectricity, irrigation | Embankment | 633,000,000 m3 (513,181 acre⋅ft) | 107.5 m (353 ft) | 551 m (1,808 ft) | 42 MW | 2016 | [25] |
| Sangjoy Solidarity Dam | Jaghori District, Ghazni Province | Hydroelectricity, irrigation | Gravity | Under construction | [26] | |||||
| Sarda Dam | Andar District, Ghazni Province | Gardez River | Irrigation | Embankment | 259,000,000 m3 (209,975 acre⋅ft) | 1967 | ||||
| Shahtoot Dam | Char Asiab District, Kabul Province | Kabul River | Irrigation | Gravity | Under construction | [27] [1] | ||||
| Shah wa Arus Dam | Shakardara District, Kabul Province | Shakardara River | Hydroelectricity, irrigation | Gravity | 180,000 m3 (146 acre⋅ft) | 75 m (246 ft) | 1.2MW | 2023 | [28] | |
| Shorabak Dam | Fayzabad District, Badakhshan Province | Kokcha River | Hydroelectricity | Gravity | 7.5 MW | 2021 | [29] [30] | |||
| Sukhtook Dam | Nili District, Daykundi Province | Lazier River | Hydroelectricity, irrigation | Gravity | 0.7 MW | 2021 | [31] | |||
| Sultan Dam | 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 | [33] | ||||