BLOG

WATER POLITICS

Via Ariana News, a report on Pakistan’s intention to sign a water treat with Afghanistan:

Pakistan Government aimed to sign an treaty over share water with Afghan Government, amid officials in Ministry of Energy and Water insisted on implementation of International law and regulations over distribution and sharing of water with neighboring countries.

According to Da Nation Newspaper of Pakistan the Pakistan officials are busy drafting a mutual agreement over water of Kabul river, the news paper also reported that the move apparently comes after recent statements by Indian leaders that New Delhi wants to gift a water reservoir to Kabul over the river as a token of friendship with Afghanistan.

Officials in Ministry of Energy and Water insisted and saying that we will not sign any agreement to harm the Afghanistan National interests.

Deputy Minister of Energy and Water Abdul Baseer Azimi said, “We will not sign any agreement on sharing of water of Afghanistan to harm the country’s National interests.”

Economy experts said Afghanistan water should be managed based on the International laws and regulations, insisting Afghanistan does need its water itself more than its neighboring countries.

Economy expert Najmuddin Sais said, “We need our water more than our neighboring countries do, we need to manage our water, it has been years our water used by our neighboring countries.”

The experts have also insisted that Afghan Government should use the water for irrigation thousands acres of lands in the country, greening Agriculture, and generation of electricity for the residents.

Pakistan and Afghanistan share at least seven rivers but have signed no agreement on how to jointly manage the water, this may become a major issue as ongoing power and irrigation projects upstream in Afghanistan on shared rivers may impact water flow.

Afghanistan is building dams on the Kunar and Kabul rivers – tributaries of the Indus, Islamabad, in turn, is building its own water storage and hydroelectric projects on the Kabul River and its tributaries, without consulting Afghanistan.

Pakistan is one of the world’s most water scare countries and desperately needs to build more water storage.