Iran-Afghanistan Hydropolitic Relations

Document Type : Research Paper

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Abstract

The sweet water constitutes just three percent of the planet’s total water. The difficult conditions become apparent when we learn that the distribution of this volume of water in various areas is unequal. Furthermore, ceaseless population growth and growing consumption of water in various works give rise to sensitive conditions under which many scholars call the 21st century the hydropolitical century. Hence, in the relations among political units in an area where the degree of rainfall is scant and water will provide the ground for future tensions. Afghanistan’s internal mountains are the sources of two Hirmand and Hariroud rivers in eastern Iran. Iran-Afghanistan hydropolitical ties during the last decade have been based on instrumental use of water factor. For this reason, a large number of Iran’s populated settlements in Sistan province have been seriously damaged which led them to migrate to other areas in the country. Given this background, the Iranian state, with Turkmenistan’s cooperation, has built the Friendship Dam above the Hariroud (Tajan) river whose source is located at Afghanistan. Among other things the designers intend to secure Mashad’s drinking water. With such an action, Iran’s eastern part will be included in Kabul’s sphere of influence. Thus, the author believes that in order to escape the negative consequences of this dependence, the Iranian government should establish a kind of geopolitical exchange with Afghanistan.

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