Afghanistan’s officials have agreed to release Iran's fair water share from Hirmand (known as Helmand in Afghanistan) River, a joint water resource blocked by the neighboring state.
Energy Minister Ali Akbar Mehrabian made the statement after holding talks with Mulla Abdul Latif Mansur, Afghanistan’s water and energy minister, in Kabul on Thursday, the Energy Ministry’s news service reported.
“Afghan officials have made a pledge not to divert the river’s water to saltpans, including Gowd-i Zerrah and let the water flow toward Iran’s borders,” he said.
“The government in Kabul has completed the second phase of Kajaki Dam, from which Iran’s water share originates. The water flows down to Kamal Khan Dam and is diverted into Afghan farmlands instead of the river delta’s wetlands where Helmand ends.”
The minister noted that Afghan officials were briefed on the serious issue and they have agreed not to channel Iran’s water share into their saltpans.
Mehrabian expressed hope that water in Helmand River would soon flow into the three big reservoirs in Sistan Plain called Chah-Nimeh in Sistan-Baluchestan Province.
According to Jabbar Vatanfada, the head of the Energy Ministry’s Department of Border Rivers and Joint Water Sources, Afghanistan’s excuses not to release Iran’s fair share of joint water resources are not acceptable and Iran is hopeful that the matter will be resolved diplomatically.
“The issue is being pursued through various diplomatic channels, including talks held during the Joint Committee of Hirmand Water Commissioners meetings,” he said.
“Given the fact that the Islamic Republic of Iran has generously helped the people of Afghanistan in several areas over the past 40 years, we expect the country to take Iran’s legitimate and legal demands into consideration.”
Severe Water Shortages
Sistan-Baluchestan is the second largest province of Iran, bordering Afghanistan and Pakistan. The region has been struggling with severe water shortages for two decades, as rainfall averages a meager 105 mm.
More than 50% of the people of the province live in rural areas. But that is fast changing, as they are abandoning their homes and villages, and moving to other parts of the country in search of work and a better life.
In January 2016, during a visit to Tehran, Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah and his Iranian counterpart issued a memorandum expressing concerns about the ecosystem of Gowd-i Zerrah, the lowest part of Sistan Basin and Hamoun and agreed that experts from both countries should look into the issue.
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 directly relates to regional security. While the problem is fundamentally of a technical nature, politicization of the problem can complicate the situation.
It is vital that both Iran and Afghanistan communicate at the level of political leaders, as well as in scientific, academic and civil institutions. The countries’ leaders should understand that the problems of Helmand River and Hamoun lakes are not purely domestic issues, but a regional challenge that can only be resolved collectively.
