{"id":20088233,"date":"2022-05-05T12:30:00","date_gmt":"2022-05-05T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thethirdpole.net\/?p=88233"},"modified":"2022-08-09T21:09:19","modified_gmt":"2022-08-09T15:39:19","slug":"decades-on-pakistan-still-seeking-kabul-river-agreement%ef%bf%bc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/water\/decades-on-pakistan-still-seeking-kabul-river-agreement%ef%bf%bc\/","title":{"rendered":"Decades on, Pakistan is still seeking a Kabul River agreement"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap\">For decades, Pakistan has been seeking an agreement with Afghanistan on the Kabul River. But a treaty agreeing the management and allocation of water between the two countries remains a dim prospect. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Flowing from Afghanistan to Pakistan where it meets the Indus, the Kabul River is a source of drinking water, irrigation, hydropower, livelihoods and recreational activities to an estimated <a href=\"https:\/\/transboundarywaters.science.oregonstate.edu\/sites\/transboundarywaters.science.oregonstate.edu\/files\/Muhammad%20Iqbal%20-%20Thesis%20-%20Final%20for%20Printing%20%281%29%20%281%29%20%281%29%20%281%29.pdf\">20 million people<\/a> in the two countries. Despite repeated attempts to launch joint projects, and the rising urgency to equitably distribute the river\u2019s resources as climate change alters its flow, little progress is likely to be made on negotiations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cd-article-image alignright block--article-image block--article-image--fullwidth\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"><div class=\"block--article-image__column\"><div class=\"hide-expand block--article-image__image\"><img class=\"lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/20220504_Kabul-river-Pak-Afghan-border_Mapboard-5.png\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/20220504_Kabul-river-Pak-Afghan-border_Mapboard-5-768x656.png 768w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/20220504_Kabul-river-Pak-Afghan-border_Mapboard-5-1024x874.png 1024w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/20220504_Kabul-river-Pak-Afghan-border_Mapboard-5.png 2560w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 768px, (max-width: 1024px) 1024px, 2560px\" alt=\"Kabul river and tributaries map, \"\/><\/div><div class=\"block--article-image__content\"><div itemprop=\"caption\" class=\"block--article-image__caption\">Map of the Kabul river and its major tributaries \u2022 Graphic by The Third Pole<\/div><\/div><\/div><meta itemprop=\"contentUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/20220504_Kabul-river-Pak-Afghan-border_Mapboard-5.png\"\/><meta itemprop=\"contentSize\" content=\"6 MB\"\/><meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"2186\"\/><meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"2560\"\/><meta itemprop=\"author\"\/><meta itemprop=\"representativeOfPage\" content=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Ikramuddin Kamil, special assistant on water and energy at Afghanistan\u2019s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told The Third Pole: \u201cIn the current situation, Afghanistan is not in a position to sign a treaty with Pakistan as the <a href=\"http:\/\/legal.un.org\/ilc\/texts\/instruments\/english\/conventions\/8_3_1997.pdf\">international [convention] on transboundary rivers<\/a> favours the early developers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Under the 1997 Convention on the Law of the Non-navigational Uses of International Watercourses, when countries negotiate an agreement existing infrastructure is not up for discussion and there is no question of it being dismantled. But projects still in the planning stage can be discussed. Pakistan already has a number of barrages, irrigation canals and other infrastructure on its section of the Kabul River and will argue that these will <a href=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/hub\/water-shortage\/\">not receive enough water<\/a> if Afghanistan builds similar structures upstream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kamil said: \u201cAny kind of construction on the Kabul river basin has always strained the bilateral relationship with Pakistan. Kabul may in future launch joint hydroelectric projects under which Afghanistan will provide water for irrigation to Pakistan, and in return get transit trade and services agreements.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<a class=\"wp-block-cd-related-news alignright block--related-news loading\" data-post-id=\"20008752\"><div class=\"block--related-news__image\"><\/div><div class=\"block--related-news__content\"><span class=\"block--related-news__heading\">Recommended<\/span><span class=\"block--related-news__title\"><\/span><\/div><\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<a class=\"wp-block-cd-related-news block--related-news loading\" data-post-id=\"20020651\"><div class=\"block--related-news__image\"><\/div><div class=\"block--related-news__content\"><span class=\"block--related-news__heading\">Recommended<\/span><span class=\"block--related-news__title\"><\/span><\/div><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAfghanistan has proposed 12 projects on the Kabul River and its tributaries, while five dams have been completed and operational \u2013 Chak, Mahipar, Sarawbi, Naghalao and Dronaq dams,\u201d said Kamil. He added that Afghanistan has identified 12 more storage sites on the Kabul River and its tributaries, with a combined water storage capacity of 4.7 million acre feet (about 5.8 cubic kilometres).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the proposed projects is the Shahtoot dam that <a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/india\/india-afghanistan-sign-mou-to-build-shahtoot-dam-in-kabul\/articleshow\/80768283.cms\">India agreed to build<\/a>, with a memorandum of understanding signed in February 2021. Work has been at a standstill since the Taliban took over the government in Afghanistan later in 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cd-article-image aligncenter block--article-image block--article-image--article\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"><div class=\"block--article-image__column\"><div class=\"block--article-image__image\"><img class=\"lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/dam-Kabul-River_Peretz-Partensky_5738688176_ff42725416_o.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/dam-Kabul-River_Peretz-Partensky_5738688176_ff42725416_o-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/dam-Kabul-River_Peretz-Partensky_5738688176_ff42725416_o-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/dam-Kabul-River_Peretz-Partensky_5738688176_ff42725416_o.jpg 2100w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 768px, (max-width: 1024px) 1024px, 2100px\" alt=\"Dam on the Kabul River, Peretz Partensky\"\/><\/div><div class=\"block--article-image__content\"><div itemprop=\"caption\" class=\"block--article-image__caption\">A dam on the Kabul River (Image: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ifl\/\">Peretz Partensky<\/a> \/ <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ifl\/5738688176\">Flickr<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/2.0\/\">CC BY-SA 2.0<\/a>)<\/div><\/div><\/div><meta itemprop=\"contentUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/dam-Kabul-River_Peretz-Partensky_5738688176_ff42725416_o.jpg\"\/><meta itemprop=\"contentSize\" content=\"1 MB\"\/><meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"1400\"\/><meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"2100\"\/><meta itemprop=\"author\"\/><meta itemprop=\"representativeOfPage\" content=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-a-kabul-river-treaty-is-becoming-more-urgent\">A Kabul River treaty is becoming more urgent<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The need for an agreement on the transboundary river \u2013 a major tributary of the Indus \u2013 is becoming more urgent in downstream Pakistan. More people in the downstream country depend solely on the river for water than in Afghanistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201c[Pakistan\u2019s] population is on the rise and so is the demand for water. Therefore, an accord regarding this river is a must in light of upper and lower riparian rights for better management of water, regional development, peace and the overall environment,\u201d said Nasir Ghafoor, chief engineer for development at the Irrigation Department in the state government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is the state where the Kabul River enters Pakistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cd-pull-quote block--pull-quote\"><div class=\"block--pull-quote__wrapper\"><blockquote class=\"block--pull-quote__quote\">Afghanistan is not in a position to sign a treaty with Pakistan<\/blockquote><cite class=\"block--pull-quote__cite\">Ikramuddin Kamil, Afghanistan\u2019s Ministry of Foreign Affairs<\/cite><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>However, over the past 40 years the lack of a centrally organised government in Afghanistan has impeded progress on a treaty, Faiz Zaland, a water expert and professor at Kabul University, pointed out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDuring the period from 2001 to 2014, Pakistan made numerous diplomatic attempts on bilateral basis, via World Bank and international community to devise a procedure of data sharing and conclusion of treaty [on the Kabul River],\u201d wrote Muhammad Iqbal of the University of Punjab, Lahore, in his 2020 <a href=\"https:\/\/transboundarywaters.science.oregonstate.edu\/sites\/transboundarywaters.science.oregonstate.edu\/files\/Muhammad%20Iqbal%20-%20Thesis%20-%20Final%20for%20Printing%20%281%29%20%281%29%20%281%29%20%281%29.pdf\">PhD thesis<\/a>. \u201cAfghanistan evaded dialogues on pleas of lack of data, negotiating skill, incomplete water policy etc,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Islamabad remains cautious<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Pakistani officials interviewed by The Third Pole on the issue maintained a cautious line, fearing any negative response from the government in Kabul may encourage groups that wish to derail efforts for a peaceful solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pakistan has been seeking a Kabul River agreement for decades, especially since the early 2000s when the Afghanistan government at the time proposed the Kama hydropower project on the Kunar River. The Kunar River starts in Pakistan (called the Chitral in its upper reaches) then enters Afghanistan, where it flows into the Kabul River.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhen this project was proposed, it caused concerns in Pakistan. A team of engineers that I was part of \u2013 from the Irrigation Department in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa [then called North-West Frontier Province, or NWFP] \u2014 briefed the then governor Iftikhar Hussain Shah on impacts of the proposed dam,\u201d Riaz Ahmad Khan, former chief engineer of the Irrigation Department, told The Third Pole. The issue was raised with Kabul but there was no response, Khan added. This prompted Pakistan to conduct a feasibility survey that would identify upstream points to divert the river through tunnels towards the Panjgora River.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Though projects by Afghanistan may not materialise in the foreseeable future, if they are completed Pakistan has the option to carry out the Kunar River diversion project, said Khan. This would affect all hydroelectric and irrigation systems on the Kabul River in Afghanistan, turn land barren and aquifers dry, have devastating environmental and humanitarian impacts, and possibly lead to <a href=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/hub\/climate-refugees\/\">mass migration<\/a>, he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cd-pull-quote block--pull-quote\"><div class=\"block--pull-quote__wrapper\"><blockquote class=\"block--pull-quote__quote\">A Kabul River accord is a must in light of upper and lower riparian rights for better management of water, regional development, peace and the overall environment <\/blockquote><cite class=\"block--pull-quote__cite\">Nasir Ghafoor, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Irrigation Department<\/cite><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>It will have <a href=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/climate\/the-costs-of-heightened-conflict-in-the-himalayas\/\">serious consequences<\/a> in downstream areas of the Kabul river basin in Pakistan as well. Syed Mehar Ali Shah, Pakistan\u2019s Indus Water Commissioner, pointed out that the Kabul River provides water for irrigation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Sindh provinces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa alone, the Kabul River irrigates almost 32,000 hectares through four major canals, according to Mamrez Khan, executive engineer in the state\u2019s Irrigation Department. Plus, there are around 1,000 smaller irrigation canals leading from the river to farms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe river recharges aquifers of Mohmand, Khyber, Peshawar, Charsadda, Nowshera and Mardan districts, providing drinking water to millions of people,\u201d said Mehboob Alam, general manager projects for water and sanitation services in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Repeated attempts to work together<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In early 2014, Pakistan made another attempt through its embassy in Afghanistan to launch joint projects on the Kabul River and share environmental, societal and economic data on the river basin. However, the Afghanistan government still did not show any interest, according to a senior official at Pakistan\u2019s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad. He spoke on the condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to the media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Confirming that Pakistan had made several efforts to reach a Kabul River agreement, Shah the Indus Water Commissioner said that the population in both countries is increasing and any delay in this regard could have serious environmental and economic impacts. \u201cPakistan has expertise in river management and has one of the best river gauging systems in place that can help Afghanistan in data collection and better management of the river,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<a class=\"wp-block-cd-related-news alignright block--related-news loading\" data-post-id=\"20021519\"><div class=\"block--related-news__image\"><\/div><div class=\"block--related-news__content\"><span class=\"block--related-news__heading\">Recommended<\/span><span class=\"block--related-news__title\"><\/span><\/div><\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<a class=\"wp-block-cd-related-news block--related-news loading\" data-post-id=\"20021642\"><div class=\"block--related-news__image\"><\/div><div class=\"block--related-news__content\"><span class=\"block--related-news__heading\">Recommended<\/span><span class=\"block--related-news__title\"><\/span><\/div><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Shafqat Kakakhel, former Pakistan diplomat and former deputy executive director of the UN Environment Programme, has written in detail on the advantages of an agreement on the Kabul River, while other experts have discussed the pros and cons of the India-Pakistan <a href=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/tag\/indus-waters-treaty\/\">Indus Waters Treaty<\/a> being <a href=\"https:\/\/treaties.un.org\/doc\/Publication\/UNTs\/Volume%20419\/volume-419-I-6032-English.pdf\">expanded<\/a> to include other basin countries China and Afghanistan, and therefore the Kabul River.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cd-did-you-know alignright block--did-you-know\"><p class=\"block--did-you-know__title\">Editor&#8217;s note<\/p><div class=\"block--did-you-know__content\"><p>This is the first in a two-part series. Read the second story on low water levels and pollution of the Kabul River <a href=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/pollution\/dirty-depleted-kabul-river-risk-to-millions-afghanistan-pakistan\/\">here<\/a>.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Apart from the Kabul River, Afghanistan and Pakistan share eight other rivers. Independent experts in Pakistan have <a href=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/energy\/pakistani-officials-call-for-water-agreement-with-afghanistan\/\">said in the past<\/a> that the ideal would be for the two countries to reach agreement on sustainably developing all these river basins together. But they agree that such an ideal will not be possible unless the two countries can first reach an agreement on the Kabul River.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The absence of a functioning government in upstream Afghanistan has hampered treaty efforts for the major Indus tributary<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20000286,"featured_media":20088253,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[50039903],"tags":[554,560,569,587,50040707],"hashtags":[],"country":[20000115,20000112],"class_list":["post-20088233","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-water","tag-hydropower","tag-law","tag-negotiations","tag-rivers","tag-the-third-pole","country-afghanistan","country-pakistan"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v26.0) - 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