Kabul and its surrounding region are perilously short of water and may not be able to supply a fast-growing, more affluent population, according to a U.S. and Afghan report.

Rapid population growth and expected temperature rises due to climate change mean the area – which just manages to support 6 million people today – will need six times more water by 2050, the US Geological Survey report says.

More than half the shallow wells people now rely on will dry up if temperatures continue to increase as expected, it warns. In the past decade, the city's population has more than doubled as the water table drops.

In addition, most of the shared water points and wells are contaminated, leading to illness. According to current United Nations estimates, Kabul's population could reach 9 million by 2050.

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