Assessing the Regional Hydropolitical Influence of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan on Transboundary Water Resource Integration

Abstract

Regional water policies, as a key concept in geopolitical studies of water, emphasize the role of state powers in controlling transboundary water resources. Afghanistan, endowed with significant surface water resources, plays a strategic role in regional water dynamics. With the rise to power of the Islamic Emirate government in 2021, the country’s water policies—both domestically and regionally—have undergone notable changes, potentially affecting the balance of hydropolitical power. The central question of this study is: What impact has the regional hydropolitics of the Islamic Emirate had on the convergence of transboundary water resources? To address this question, the study adopts an analytical-explanatory research methodology and relies on library-based tools for data collection. The findings reveal that the current government of Afghanistan, owing to its political independence, sovereign water rights, upper-hand geographic position vis-à-vis neighboring countries, and their dependency on Afghanistan’s water resources, holds a distinct position in the regional water hierarchy. Nevertheless, the potential for water resource convergence remains—provided that water is not securitized, water issues are depoliticized, alternative models to traditional agriculture are promoted, and the commercial ports of neighboring countries are incorporated into the Islamic Emirate’s broader policy framework.