A Pak-Afghan Water Treaty?

Jul 9, 2018 | Mashhood Hassan Azam Awan
View Original

The Indus River Basin is shared by four countries: Pakistan, India, Afghanistan and China. The water sector in this region faces certain challenges including the depletion of natural resources and inefficient use of water. The region’s current population is 237 million and is estimated to increase to 319 million by 2025, and to 383 million by 2050. Kabul River, a tributary of the Indus water system, runs through Afghanistan and Pakistan. It is 700 kilometres long and emerges in the Sanglakh Range of the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan, ultimately emptying into the Indus River near Attock in Pakistan. It is shared by upper-riparian Afghanistan and lower-riparian Pakistan. The river contributes 25 MAF to the economy of Pakistan. There is a possibility of Afghanistan withholding the water during sowing seasons and releasing it during wet seasons. Afghanistan needs a modern water infrastructure for its agricultural and urbanisation needs. Its 2008 development agenda indicated building of dams as an integral part of the developmental programme.