Renewable energy in Afghanistan

Renewable energy in Afghanistan includes biomass, geothermal, hydropower, solar, and wind power.

[7][2] The country currently spends around $280 million on importing 670 MW of electricity from neighboring Iran, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.

The majority of the population of Afghanistan uses firewood and coal for their cooking and heating needs; more sustainable energy options are required.

[…] UNEP has committed to providing higher-level guidance, helping the consortium align its activities towards national policies and strategies.

UNEP shall also advocate the benefits and studies that arise from the consortiums work in biogas in Afghanistan[15]An area of vast untapped potential lies in the heat energy locked inside the earth in the form of magma or dry, hot rocks.

The technology currently exists to provide low-cost electricity from Afghanistan's geothermal resources, which are located in the main axis areas of the Hindu Kush.

As Yasah et al. contend, "the common strategy is currently to build micro-hydropower facilities to power single bulbs and maybe a water boiler for the whole community.

[6] In fact, "the country has 75 billion cubic meters of potentially available renewable water resources are also the main source of recharge for groundwater as precipitation is low in Afghanistan.

"[16] Water has become such a precious commodity across the globe that makes having an abundance of it, as a natural resource is a fortunate reality for Afghanistan.

[18][19][7][2] The country has significant hydro resources with the river catchment area of 677,900 km2, annual average rainfall of 300 mm and widespread hilly topography.