Management of Helmand wetland discussions between Afghanistan and Iran

Afghan stabilization and reconstruction efforts include agricultural development and water withdrawal¡ diversion¡ and containment projects in the middle and lower Helmand River and Hari Rud wa-tersheds of Afghanistan. The Iranian government found these actions as undermining water security in the eastern part of Iran. The concern is particularly relevant in the region known as Sistan and Baluchestan Province¡ the most desolate¡ most marginalized¡ and least stable of Iran’s provinces.
This study studied done discussion on water between Afghanistan and Iran¡ focusing on the re-gional hydropolitics of Afghanistan’s transboundary water basins; Iran’s water insecurity and dependence on water originating from its upstream neighbor¡ Afghanistan; furthermore¡ the previous political negotia-tions over the waters of the Helmand watershed¡ factors affecting future water availability in the region in-cluding population growth¡ agricultural expansion¡ and climate change surveyed¡ too. At the end tried to highlight how Iran’s attempts at balancing its economic and political interests––interests that are conflicting at times––have collided with reconstruction projects for Afghanistan’s water sector.
Concentrating on Afghanistan’s water-based development projects¡ the article concludes by out-lining a five-part strategy to address the transboundary water issues.
The strategy recommends developing monitoring systems and databases¡ identifying historic hydrometeorological baseline data¡ building capacity in water management and irrigation efficiency¡ creat-ing an international support network for negotiations¡ and establishing a transboundary commission.