Developing transboundary water: What perspectives for cooperation between Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan?

Since the fall of the Taliban, the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA) has been actively trying to resume its hydraulic mission that was put on hold in the late 1970s. Improving water control through the construction of dams has been described by the GIRoA as a silver bullet for Afghanistan’s development, including food security, hydropower production and mitigating the impacts of droughts and floods. In a country where 90 percent of the surface water resources are shared with downstream neighbouring countries, this long-term and ongoing process of transboundary water resources development raises the question of the nature of interactions between Afghanistan and its riparian neighbours. Of particular importance is whether interactions are likely to evolve toward more conflict or more cooperation.