International security discussions often focus on traditional hard threats such as military aggression, nuclear weapons and economic coercion. But some of the future’s most dangerous flashpoints may emerge from something more basic: access to water. Even in today’s interconnected world, with international treaties designed to foster cooperation, water scarcity is fuelling tensions in Central Asia. In particular, the Taliban’s construction of the 285-kilometre Qosh Tepa Canal is emerging as a particular pressure point. The canal, now under construction in northern Afghanistan, will divert water from the Amu Darya river that flows from Afghanistan into Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. Once completed, it is expected to divert between 20 percent and 30 percent of the river’s total flow—a severe blow to downstream states.
Central Asia’s complex water-security diplomacy with the Taliban | The Strategist
