Hydropolitical strategies on diplomacy to resolve the Iran-Afghanistan conflict in the Harirud watershed

Water diplomacy as a concept in the field of diplomacy and water policy studies has been of great interest. This attention can be justified due to the importance of hydropolitical changes, the need to use new types of diplomacy, and the increasing scarcity of water resources. In this research, we have endeavored, focusing on official and unofficial paths of water diplomacy and a review of library resources, to answer the question of what role water diplomacy processes play in understanding the actions of Iran and Afghanistan in the shared Helmand River basin and how they may lead to conflict resolution and facilitation of water cooperation. The findings indicate that, given the tensions and mutual actions, water diplomacy has the potential to support conflict resolution processes, and with formal and informal arrangements such as direct negotiations and an emphasis on cultural and economic dimensions, water cooperation can be made possible. Therefore, water diplomacy, as a forward-looking approach in foreign policy and diplomacy, can play an effective role in managing shared water resources and resolving water resource-related conflicts within the framework of general system policies.