Afghanistan/Tajikistan/Turkmenistan/Uzbekistan: Afghanistan’s Qosh Tepa Canal and the Paradox of Central Asian Water Politics

Sep 11, 2025 | Kamila Fayzieva
Diplomat
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As climate change accelerates and water resources in Central Asia continue to shrink, the construction of the massive Qosh Tepa Canal in northern Afghanistan is raising alarm among neighboring states. Designed to irrigate more than 500,000 hectares of arid land by diverting 20-30 percent of the Amu Darya’s flow — a lifeline for millions in the region — the project carries profound ecological, economic, and political implications.