Chakhansur District

Chakhansur (Persian: چخانسور‎) is a district in the Nimruz Province of Afghanistan. It has a population of about 11,165 as of 2004, which includes Pashtun, Tajik, Baloch and Hazara ethnic groups.[1]

Chakhansur

چخانسور
District
Chakhansur
Location within Afghanistan
Coordinates: 31°10′N 62°04′E
Country Afghanistan
ProvinceNimruz Province
CapitalChakhansur
Population
 • Estimate 
(2004)
11,165
Time zone+ 4.30
Satellite image of southern Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran in dust storm

The economy is primarily based on agriculture, and the necessary water for irrigation is dependent on the status of the Sistan Basin, an endorheic basin which periodically becomes dry.

This area of Afghanistan was a major medieval cultural hub on the Silk Road but most ancient structures are now covered by sand. Signs of historical irrigation systems, including canals, are still visible in the Chakhansur area while elsewhere canals are filled with silt and agricultural fields buried by shifting sand. Today the area is relatively sparsely populated. There continue to be problems with water control and periodic flooding and drought.[2][3][4]

Currently the Chakhansur farmers are experiencing a severe and long term drought. Even with help from the World Food Program, many have abandoned their homes, perhaps as many as 20,000, to search for water and jobs.[5]

See also

Footnotes
  1. "Chakhansor District" (PDF). Central Statistics Office Afghanistan. Afghanistan's Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development. 2004. Retrieved 2012-07-18.
  2. "Floods kill three, destroy 300 houses in western Afghanistan". Retrieved 2007-07-31.
  3. "History of Environmental Change in the Sistan Basin 1976 - 2005" (PDF). Retrieved 2007-07-20.
  4. "Restoration, Protection and Sustainable Use of the Sistan Basin". Retrieved 2007-07-20.
  5. Gall, Carlotta (2004-12-17). "Afghans dig in, but losing ground to 7-year drought - 37 percent of population can't meet basic needs". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2007-07-31.


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