Food and water are two of the basic sources of energy for human beings. It would be impossible for human beings to live without them; therefore, human beings require to use them wisely and, at the same time, find out news ways of producing them and making every human benefit from them in the best possible manner. They have to make sure that the economic and political systems must ensure providence of natural resources to all the human beings alike – unfortunately that is not the case in contemporary world of ours. The short-comings in our economic system have made the basic requirements seem lesser and inadequate though it is yet to face a serious threat of inadequacy.

A UN report last year warned the world that the basic requirements of life and the energy sources may decline to a considerable extent and may not be able to compensate the increasing requirements of growing population. The world population has already reached to 7 billion and according to current calculations it may reach to 9 billion by 2040 and the world is not ready to provide for this increase and may push a considerable number of people towards poverty. The world, according to UN estimates, would need 50 percent more food by 2030.

Apart from that it would also require 45 percent more energy and 30 percent more water. Some of other figures in this regard are very much concerning as well. They show 'although the number of people living in absolute poverty has been reduced to 27 percent of world population from 46 percent in 1990 and the global economy has grown 75 percent since 1992, improved lifestyles and changing consumer habits have put natural resources under increasing strain.

There are 20 million more undernourished people now than in 2000; 5.2 million hectares of forest are lost per year - an area the size of Costa Rica; 85 percent of all fish stocks are over-exploited or depleted; and carbon dioxide emissions have risen 38 percent between 1990 and 2009, which heightens the risk of sea level rise and more extreme weather.'

United Nations' high-level panel on global sustainability mentioned, "The current global development model is unsustainable. To achieve sustainability, a transformation of the global economy is required… Tinkering on the margins will not do the job. The current global economic crisis ... offers an opportunity for significant reforms." The panel, in fact, suggested that 'a new political economy' has to be developed so as to ensure proper providence of rudimentary requirements of life to all.

It would be better for the world that it must cogitate seriously about every possibility of a new political economy so as to enable the world to compensate for the food and other shortages for the poor countries will have to suffer to a considerable extent as a result of the shortage of basic requirements and sources of energy.

Unfortunately, Afghanistan is one of the same countries and it will have to face serious challenges in the times to come to provide food and clean drinking water to its people. Decades of war in Afghanistan has affected the country to a large extent. Different sectors have been influenced by this menace. The basic infra-structure has not been able to get proper attention and people are suffering because of basic needs, among which food and water are the most basic ones.

These are the preliminary physiological requirements of human beings and it is really sorry to note that there are millions of people in Afghanistan who lack these basic needs. Even a decade of development has not been able to provide proper or even sufficient food and water to a large number of people. The prospects, in this regard, display a bleak picture for the coming years.

Even the capital Kabul has been suffering because of the lack of these basic requirements. A recent report shows that underground water level would deplete considerably in Kabul till 2017 and the residents of the city would face serious challenges in this regard.

"The growing populations, seasonal droughts and over pumping are some of the factors that contribute to the rapidly plummeting underground water resources in Kabul," said Deputy Energy and Water Minister Shujaudin Ziaye.

The ground water resources decreased from 44 million cubic metre to 31 million in a decade. "We have ground water for one million people, but the level is in great depletion because four million people in Kabul pump water from dwells dug at homes," Ziaye said.

He said there were four ground water aquifers each in bowl-shaped formation located in Afshar, Pul-i-Charkhi, Allaudin and Rahmatabad areas.

The deputy minister warned ground water could become undrinkable over next three years if unplanned constructions continued, adding his ministry planned to initiate short and long term projects aimed at protecting the available ground water resources from contamination.  

The shortage of basic requirements itself is a sure problem, but there are many other problems that are directly linked with the hunger and deprivation that result from such shortages. Many diseases would erupt and many social evils will find their way in the society and will further deteriorate the country's socio-political scenario.

More people would be involved in crimes in order to feed themselves and their families. Two major problems in the country have been greatly strengthened by the continuous hunger and poverty. The first one that has been threatening the whole world is the growing terrorism in the region. The people suffering from hunger and poverty are very much likely to become part of terrorist organizations that are ready to provide them their living.

It is really important that a decade of struggle for betterment in Afghanistan must not only end in peace and tranquility but also better living standard for the common Afghan people; and if that is not convenient, they must at least be provided the rudimentary requirements.

With the growing concerns about the international food and energy shortages, the concerns, on the national level will in fact multiply. The concerned authorities in this regard have to make sure that they make proper arrangements for such times and save our country from going through further miseries. They have to bring about necessary changes in their economic system so that it can be better from what it is at the moment; that is what the world is thinking about.