Distance Learning Module 10 - Water Law and Water Treaties
- Afghanistan has no water treaties with any neighboring countries because all old treaties were signed with political entities that no longer exist (British Raj of India, Shah of Iran, USSR).
- The Government of Afghanistan is itself a new government with no prior water treaties.
- New water treaties are required for future intelligent development of water resources.
- Negotiations over new treaties demand an educated set of government officials and hydro-cognizant government advisory bodies.
- In general, lowland civilizations in Asia tended to start in fertile, lowland river valleys far from upland or mountainous water-source regions.
- As a consequence the upland regions developed much later and have remained undeveloped and weaker.
- Meanwhile downstream nation-states want to continue with exactly the same quality and quantity of water delivered downstream.
- This will stop upstream development, which is not fair to upland nation states.
- Fair and fully informed negotiation is required.