Introduction
Water governance is significantly important in Afghanistan as this country has the potential to connect south Asia with central Asia. This is land- locked country which is located within central Asia and south Asia. This article discusses opportunities, obstacles and challenges for water governance in the country.
Afghanistan has the ability to connect south Asia with central Asia. Central Asia is a rich region of energy, where south Asia suffers from the lack of energy. Both regions may enjoy the trade deal after they connected through Afghanistan. This deal could lead the region to prosperity. Naturally, Afghanistan is well placed and can become the hub of energy transit between energy deficit south Asia and energy surplus central Asia.
Afghanistan is a rich- resource country, which has five main rivers: Helmand River, Amu Darya and Panj, Harirod and Murghab River, Kabul River, and North River. Except North River, all of them are transboundary with riparian countries. Helmand River is the only River, which has bilateral agreement with Iran as it is transboundary with that country. There are no agreements with Pakistan and central Asian countries over the rest of transboundary watercourses. All of aforesaid rivers have a great potential of hydropower. Moreover, regional cooperation will grow through regional connection. Energy from central Asia will be cheap and cheap energy can lead to stability, better life, more jobs and local economies improvement. This could bring security to Afghanistan as unemployment is the root cause of conflicts in the country and region. Furthermore, Afghanistan will receive revenue from this connection based on international principles.
Renewable energy (hydropower, solar and wind) production is the greatest potential of Afghanistan. Studies indicates that the country has the possibility of 23000 MW of hydropower energy, 67000 MW wind energy and 220000 of solar energy. But it can be effective in long term as the country does not have enough budget now to work on such planning. If international community specifies any fund in this regard, it might be possible in short term. The implementation of this plan will help to create more jobs, decrease unemployment rate and make the bill cheaper and improve local economies. The employment rate has direct relation to security. If there are working opportunities, there is security. If the unemployment rate is high, absolutely there will be instability and insecurity. So, employment rate has direct relation with security.
Water governance has some constraints and challenges as well in Afghanistan. These problems have not permitted to have a good water governance in the country. Some of them are financial constraints, technical constraints and institutional constraints. Also, traditional water distribution system, insecurity and lack of bilateral agreements over transboundary watercourses can add to the challenges.
Afghanistan still suffers from a traditional water distribution system, which is called Mir Ab. This system is enforced at local level. Mir Ab is a person, who has power to distribute water in the villages. In fact, Mir Ab selects by the owners of the lands and authorized for the distribution of water. He controls all related waters for agriculture purpose. He prepares a schedule for the distribution and share with the lands’ owners. In more areas, the owners give wheat to the Mir Abs. When the wheat season reaches, the Mir Abs receive their specified amount of wheat. They are not normally have given the cash.
Additionally, technical constraints are a challenge to water governance in the country. Some experts and specialists had trained in past twenty years, some of whom are got scholarships to be more expertise in the field of water management and returned back to Afghanistan. Some of them studied inside of Afghanistan. It was fully effective for the water sector, particularly for water governance that number of specialists after doing of their master degrees returned to their institutions. For instance, many lecturers of the public universities of Afghanistan did their master degrees abroad and returned to the country, which is an excellent intellectual wealth for the country. Despite of all these experts, Afghanistan had to have more specialists that they were not enough for the fixing and restoring of water governance in the country. Following to the takeover 15 August 2021 of Afghanistan by Taliban, most of the intellectual minds and specialists evacuated by allies’ countries and they left Afghanistan. Prior to this the country was also suffering from the lack of enough intellectual in the field of water management. The flee of theses minds added to the problems in water sector.
Financial constraints are also a huge problem to water governance in the country. Prior to the 15 August Taliban takeover, the country was supporting by international community and donor countries. The main donors to water sector were USAID, ADB, World Band and etc. Now, many of above organizations conditioned their assistances to Afghanistan, which can amplify challenges.
Also, the lack of institutional capacity is a constraint to water governance in the country. Namely, weak human resources capacity, poor operational and finance performance, inadequate investment strategy, weak planning, weak organization structure and corruption and poor governance are the most dangerous obstacles to water governance in the country.
Insecurity and the lack of bilateral agreements are other obstacles towards water governance in the country. These factors have not allowed to many projects to be implemented. Development is impossible without security. One of the prime challenge is the lack of bilateral agreements over transboundary watercourses. Afghanistan does not have any agreements over transboundary water with riparian countries except with Iran. Donor countries do not invest over water, where there are conflicts over water. So, bilateral agreements are the most important factor for the development of indigenous resources of Afghanistan.
This articles finds the solutions for above challenges of water governance of Afghanistan. Qualitative approach has been used in this research. The main goal of this research is finding out opportunities and obstacles for water governance in Afghanistan. This research finds answer to the question: what are opportunities and challenges for water governance in Afghanistan?
Methodology
Water governance is an important issue for a developing country like Afghanistan. This research is going to find answer to the research question: what are opportunities and challenges for water governance in Afghanistan? Qualitative approach is significantly important for this research. Qualitative method has been chosen for the research. Some related academic articles have been studied to find answer to the research question. Water governance can play and effective role in the economy of Afghanistan, where more than 50 % of GDP of the country comes from agriculture sector.
Additionally, water governance can play a vital role in the country as four basins are transboundary. Transboundary basins could be the most important element for the future of the country. These indigenous resources could contribute to the local economies as well. But the lack of bilateral agreements may lead not to invest over these resources. International community and donors do not invest over the waters where there are conflicts between countries. From other hand, Afghanistan is the country, which fully depends on donor assistances. The domestic budget of the country cannot fully support big development projects. If bilateral agreements sign over these watercourses, international community and donors may invest over these waters. They may support hydropower projects, which the country truly needs them. In spite of theses indigenous resources, Afghanistan still imports power from its neighboring countries, which are Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Iran; however, the country has the possibility of 23000 MW hydropower.
The SWOT method has been used for the analysis. First of all, the strengths of water governance of the country analyzed. The study found all the strengths. After that the weaknesses have been found. They are fully noticed in the introduction section. Thirdly, it has been found that what are the next opportunities on the ground for water governance in Afghanistan. Finally, it found that the country faced with some of threats on the ground.
The methodology, which I was chosen is the most suitable since there was qualitative approach needed. I would not achieve the objectives by the choosing of other methods. The study of a number of academic articles helped the research to be more and more rich. The articles included different ideas and information. Every aspect of the study explained very well.
Results
The purpose of this article is to find out main opportunities and challenges for water governance in Afghanistan. There are obstacles for water governance in the country; however, there are some opportunities as well on the ground.
The study has found that Afghanistan is well- positioned country, which has the potential to connect south Asia with central Asia. This could highlight the importance of the country more and more in the region. In fact, this can add to the value of the country since it connects to important regions.
The second advantage of the country is its indigenous resources. Afghanistan has five main river basins, which could contribute to its local economies and even to its security and stability. Indeed, water is the source of prosperity of any country. Life is much difficult without water for any region.
Afghanistan has the best potential of renewable energy. Mainly, renewable energy is hydropower, wind and solar. It mentioned if this energy manages well, it can change Afghanistan to the exporter of energy to the region, particularly to south Asia. South Asia is a deficit of energy, which needs to more energy. So, Afghanistan is naturally a rich country of renewable energy.
Afghanistan suffers from some challenges and constraints for water governance. One of those problems is a traditional water distribution system. At local level, such system is regulating. In other words, it is a Mir Ab system. Mir Ab is a person who manages, controls and monitor the water. This is not a modern system, which cannot use the water effectively.
Additionally, technical, financial and institutional constraints added to the challenges. A lot of experts left the country following to Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. Most of them have evacuated by ally partners and countries, which US. was the biggest in the aspect. Some of them left the country and they argued that their lives are at risk in the country. Now, the country suffers from the lack of experts. Secondly, the country suffers from the lack of budgets. International community and donors have stopped their assistances to the country after Taliban takeover. From other hand, the country cannot support all infrastructures and development projects from its domestic budget. Thirdly, Afghanistan suffers from the rationale institutional structures in the field of water governance. Water management structures are not proportional with its goals and they do not have the capacity to govern water resources properly.
Furthermore, insecurity and the lack of bilateral agreements over transboundary watercourses are either challenges to water governance in the country. Instable situation did not allow international donors to implement the projects and develop the resources. Also, there are no bilateral agreements over transboundary watercourses except with Iran.
Discussion
The purpose of this research is to find out main opportunities and challenges in the water sector of Afghanistan, particularly water governance. The longstanding war of the country impacted every aspect of the life, including water sector and water governance. Principally, qualitative approach has been used in this research. The research has found that Afghanistan has an effective geographical location, which can be energy transit hub between south Asia and central Asia. Also, it indicated that this country is a rich of indigenous resources, which has a good potential of the production of renewable energy. There are some challenges like, technical, financial and institutional constraints. Traditional water distribution system, the insecurity and the lack of bilateral agreements over transboundary watercourses can add to the main problems. Afghanistan has opportunities and challenges for water governance.
It would be good to travel all Afghanistan to see all five rivers. But unfortunately, the current situation does not permit to travel over all country. It would be more accurate to interview with the related residents of the rivers to make sure the accurate data and got their opinions about the current governance of water. This could be one of the main limitation for this research.
Afghanistan is a rich resource country. If its indigenous resources manage properly, it will produce 23000 MW hydropower, 67000 MW wind energy and 222000 MW solar energy. Moreover, the country is naturally well positioned, which could be energy transit hub between south Asia and central Asia. From this transition, Afghanistan can get the revenue based on international principles. Furthermore, the country should replace its traditional water distribution system to an effective modern system. One of the most problematic challenge which the country suffers from is the lack of bilateral agreements with riparian countries. Four river basins of Afghanistan are transboundary with Pakistan, Iran and some central Asian countries. The country has bilateral agreement over Helmand river with Iran. There might be potential conflicts if the country tries to build dams and other infrastructures over transboundary basins. And donor countries do not invest over waters, where there are conflicts over. So, it is the most urgent issue to be signed the agreements over the rest of transboundary watercourses. Security and the finding of budget are other top priorities for Afghan government to be contributed.
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