BLOG
July 11th, 2017
Via The Iran Project, a report on Afghanistan and Iran’s water diplomacy:
The Afghan President Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai once more stressed that Afghanistan is committed to the internationally accepted Helmand-River Water Treaty with Iran.
“Water is part of Afghanistan national resources and we handle it,” said Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai in a press conference on Tuesday.
“Water, after Afghanistan’s geography, is a priority and we focus on this resource,” he stressed.
Referring to Kajaki Dam in Helmand Province, he said the dam will be completed.
The Helmand River originates from the Hindu Kush Mountains, Helmand Province, Afghanistan, and flows to Hamun-e Helmand Lake which is a common property of both Iran and Afghanistan.
Hamun Lake is located in the Sistan region of eastern Iran and western Afghanistan and the water and the share of it has always been a dispute between the two countries.
In the recent years, when droughts occured in Afghanistan, or the water in watersheds that support Lake Hamun is drawn down by other natural or human-induced reasons ending up a dry lake bed in Iran.
Throughout the history, the row between the two countries has always been a major conflict and at some points of time, there have been some treaties and accords which were not ratified and put into practice.