Afghanistan's Taliban-led administration is not allowed to trample upon Iranian people’s water rights in the drought-stricken Sistan-Baluchestan Province under lame excuses.
President Ebrahim Raisi made the statement in a Pakistani border town on Thursday during his first official visit to the neighboring country in 10 years, the Energy Ministry’s news portal reported.
Warning Afghan officials over violating Iran’s water rights on shared transboundary Helmand River, he urged the Afghan Taliban to permit Iranian hydrologists to check the water levels of the river, which originates in the Afghan Hindu Kush mountain range.
“I warn the Taliban to take my words seriously, as this is the last time we are resorting to diplomatic solutions. Water paucity is a global challenge and we are determined to stand up for our rights and they are advised to release Iran’s water share before we decide to take other measures.”
According to the president, despite the fact that dams in Afghanistan are full, they are not willing to comply with the terms of contracts with Iran. Nor do they allow Iranian experts to check water reservoirs in their territory.
“We are fed up with empty promises by Afghan officials over the issue and it is high time to abide by the terms of the contract Afghanistan signed with Iran in 1973, otherwise other leverages are on the table.”
Experts, including Farshid Kadkhodaei, the head of the Sustainable Development, Water and Environment Commission of Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture, believe that negotiations with Afghan officials to release Iran’s fair share of joint water resources will not yield positive results and a change of policy and a stronger leverage is needed to force them to obey international laws.
Iran has long been suffering from severe water shortages in southeastern regions bordering Afghanistan.
Breach of Agreement
A big part of the problem is linked directly to Kabul’s breach of the 1973 agreement.
Kadkhodaei said due to Afghan’s breach of the agreement terms, the part of Hirmand River inside Iran is dry for almost 10 months a year.
Following regular meetings in Tehran and Kabul since 2005 regarding Iran's water rights from the border river, the Afghan side has always agreed to release Iran’s water share.
“So far, all we've gotten from them is lip service and nothing more. If Iranian officials do not use their political clout, Afghans will continue their unacceptable approach and force Iran to swap its oil for water,” he added.
Negotiations have failed and a stronger political leverage is required to make them understand that Iran will safeguard its legal rights.
According to Energy Minister Ali Akbar Mehrabian, Afghan officials made a pledge on August 13, 2022, not to divert the river’s water to saltpans, including Gowd-i Zerrah and let the water flow toward Iran’s borders, yet this has not materialized.
“The water expected to be channeled to Iran is diverted into Afghan saltpans instead of the river delta’s wetlands where Helmand ends,” he said.
This is not the first time Afghans have broken their promises, that’s why holding talks with them is pointless.
Kadkhodaei said actions speak louder than words in this case and negotiations will bear no fruits.
Based on international water laws, Afghanistan should not deprive Iranian wetlands of water, as it is a vital resource for the native population, but it seems as if they neither intend to respect the laws, nor want to comply with them.
Sistan-Baluchestan is the second largest province of Iran, bordering Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Source of Livelihood
Helmand is the longest river in Afghanistan, constituting over 40% of Afghanistan’s surface water. With 95% of the river located in Afghanistan, it is a source of livelihood for the country’s southern and southwestern provinces.
This has made Helmand a national issue that seems to have become increasingly difficult for any Afghan government to resolve.
For Iran, Helmand water is also becoming a national issue. In fact, all of Iran’s post-1979 governments have maintained the same basic position on the dispute with Afghanistan over water.
Water is a regional issue with international implications, as it is directly related to regional security. While the problem is fundamentally of a technical nature, politicization of the problem can complicate the situation.
Since 20 years ago, Iran has not received any of its fair share of water from Hirmand (known as Helmand in Afghanistan) River as per an agreement it had signed with Afghanistan in 1973.
The neighboring state has kept disrespecting Iran’s legal water rights on the pretext of technical and security issues, but the fact of the matter is that they are determined not to give Iran’s rights.
Vast areas in Sistan-Baluchestan Province will turn into barren desert, if it does not get its water share and more residents will have to abandon their homeland, as the region has long been suffering from water shortage.
