The Hindu Kush mountains of Afghanistan range in elevation from more than 7,000 masl in the east, where glaciers occur, to less than 500 masl in the arid west. More than 3,000 small glaciers, with an estimated area of 2,700 km2, provide vital water resources to the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region, especially for irrigation. Afghanistan is dominated by high mountain ranges and covered by a relatively dense network of rivers. The five main river basins are the Amu Darya River basin, the Northern River basin, the Harirrod-Murghab River basin, the Helmand River basin, and the Kabul River basin.
