Afghanistan has abundant water resources.
The Kabul River supplies percent of the annual flow of water in the country, rising in the Hindu Kush and flowing along the borders of 11 provinces before draining into the Indus River near the city of Attock in Pakistan.
The river and its tributaries provide an important source of livelihood for nearly people living around the basin – and that population is expected to increase to 37 million by 2050.
The Afghan government recently announced that they will soon commence work on the construction of the Shahtoot Dam on the Kabul River.
But for Afghanistan, improving its power and water infrastructures is imperative to jumpstart its lagging economy and ensure internal stability.
More than 80 percent of the Afghan population lives in rural areas, the majority of whom depend on agriculture for livelihood.
Therefore, improving its power and water infrastructure is a pre-requisite for the socioeconomic development of Afghanistan.
The river irrigates of this fertile region – providing 85 percent of irrigation in Charsada, 80 percent in Peshawar, and 47.5 percent in Nowshera — and is the of drinking water for millions of Pakistanis living around the basin.
For instance, the Indus Water Treaty was signed between Pakistan and India in 1960 to regulate how the two countries share the Indus River.
In a meeting to review the treaty, said, “Blood and water can’t flow together.” Thus, India is planning to construct new dams on the river to maximize its water usage and is reviving the Tulbul project — a dam that has fueled dispute between India and Pakistan since 1987.