UN Warns Kabul’s Urban Infrastructure Highly Vulnerable to Climate Change

DID Press: UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) warned that Kabul — home to more than 40 percent of Afghanistan’s urban population — faces serious climate-related risks, with four out of every five residents living in informal settlements that are most exposed to environmental shocks.

UN-Habitat stressed the growing impact of climate change on these communities and called for urgent urban climate action, saying that risk reduction and resilience building are achievable only through reconstruction approaches based on the principle of “building back better.”

According to the report, expanding access to safe and sustainable housing, improving local social infrastructure, and strengthening urban service delivery are critical priorities for reducing vulnerability among Kabul’s residents.

The agency’s Afghanistan office said its programs focus not only on physical reconstruction projects, but also on empowering local stakeholders to ensure climate-resilient and sustainable recovery efforts.

The report concludes that Kabul’s future resilience depends on immediate investment in secure housing, robust urban infrastructure, and community empowerment — measures seen as essential to mitigating climate-driven impacts on millions of Afghans.