BLOG
Water Diplomacy: Central Asia’s Uneasy Spring
April 1st, 2025
Via Havli, a report on Uzbekistan’s water talks with the Taliban: In this week’s episode of the CAPS Unlock podcast, we examine two separate but revealing stories that show how Central Asia is being shaped by forces well beyond its borders, be they military drones (launched by either Russia or Ukraine) or canals being built […]
Read more »The Ukraine War Is Changing the Future of the World’s Tallest Dam
February 5th, 2025
Courtesy of the Wall Street Journal, a video look at how the Rogun Dam in Tajikistan, set to be the world’s tallest, could reshape Central Asia’s energy landscape. And with the Ukraine war shifting geopolitics in the region, Tajikistan is gaining international support.
Read more »Struggling Over Water, Losing It Through Evaporation: The Case of Afghanistan and Iran
January 30th, 2025
The long-standing water conflict between Iran (downstream) and Afghanistan (upstream) led to the 1973 Helmand Water Treaty, ensuring Iran a share of the Helmand River. However, prolonged #droughts and rising water demand are intensifying disputes with tensions reaching alarming levels. While both nations have built reservoirs to mitigate water shortages, evaporative losses from these reservoirs […]
Read more »Afghanistan Warns Iran After Criticism of Dam Project
January 8th, 2025
Via Dawn, a report on continued water tension between Afghanistan and Iran: The Afghan government warned Iran on Wednesday against “irresponsible comments” following Tehran’s criticism last week of an upstream dam being built by its neighbour. Water rights have long been a source of friction in ties between the two countries, which share a more than 900-kilometre […]
Read more »Could Afghanistan’s Qoshtepa Canal Worsen Water Scarcity in Central Asia?
January 8th, 2025
Via The Diplomat, an article on a new report examining the impact of Afghanistan’s Qoshtepa Canal on water security in Central Asia? A new report from the Center for the National Interest, “Afghanistan’s Qoshtepa Canal and Water Security in Central Asia,” underscores the main technical, financial, and legal challenges confronting the Afghan interim authorities in […]
Read more »Iran Urges Afghanistan’s Compliance with International Rules on Border Rivers
January 5th, 2025
Via Tasnim News, a report that Iran has urged Afghanistan to comply with international rules on border rivers: The spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry called on the Taliban to cooperate in maintaining the natural flow of water in shared border rivers and comply with international standards and environmental regulations regarding those rivers. In a […]
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