River Basins

There are four major drainage systems in Afghanistan; the Amu Darya, Harirud, Helmand and Kabul.  Of these four the Kabul drainage is the only to reach the ocean.



The Amu Darya originates in the glaciers of the Pamirs Mountains and drains into the Northern and Northeastern areas of the country stretching 1,578 miles long.  The Amu Darya is the boundary between Afghanistan and the countries of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan for about 600 miles of the 834 mile long border.



The Harirud River Basin is responsible for the fertile valleys in the Northwest region of Afghanistan and also creates 65 miles of the 581 mile long border with Iran before it disappears in the Turkmenistan desert.  The Harirud originates in the Baba Mountains at 9,000 feet elevation.



The Helmand drainage basin dominates the Southwest at 715 miles long with many tributaries that cover over 100,000 square miles.  The Helmand empties near the Iran border into seasonal lakes that are highly saline.



Like all of these drainages the Kabul River is almost completely supplied by summer run off water from the melting snow in the mountains.  The Kabul river is about 434 miles long and supplies the Southeast region of Afghanistan.