Afghan Dam Projects Spark Political Dispute with Pakistan

Afghanistan's Taliban administration is building dams on rivers that flow into Pakistan, causing a cross-border dispute. An expert analysis suggests Pakistan's objections are primarily political, not technical. Assem Mayar, a water resource management expert, states that Pakistan opposes these projects on the Kunar River and its tributaries for political reasons. This implies that Pakistan may be using water rights as diplomatic leverage, rather than arguing against the dams' engineering or design. The construction highlights ongoing tensions over shared water resources in the region. Transboundary rivers are critical for agriculture and survival in both nations, making their management a sensitive issue. No formal water-sharing treaty exists between Afghanistan and Pakistan. This lack of agreement often leads to conflicts when one country builds infrastructure that can alter water flow to the other.