Afghanistan, the Amu Darya Basin and Regional Treaties

Abstract

The Amu Darya Basin is included in various bilateral and regional treaties negotiated between Afghanistan and Russia/the former USSR, and among the Central Asian Republics. The former are boundary treaties, and do not cover the use of the Amu Darya. The latter are, inter alia, water-sharing agreements that govern the use of water. This article examines the current legal regime governing the Amu Darya. It addresses one specific question: What are the legal implications for Afghanistan of its exclusion from the regional legal framework governing the apportionment and utilization of the Amu Darya? The article argues that sustainable water resource management is dependent on the participation of all riparian states in the management of a shared watercourse and without Afghanistan’s inclusion in the regional water agreements or organizations governing the Amu Darya, no Central Asian regional water agreement or organization is complete. The article makes two further arguments. First, the equitable and reasonable utilization principle gives all riparian states the right to an equitable share in shared watercourses, therefore the downstream Central Asian Republics cannot prevent upstream Afghanistan from developing its freshwater resources. Second, even though Afghanistan is not a party to the agreements governing the use of the Amu Darya waters, the country can still be affected or harmed by downstream uses of these waters, as Afghanistan’s future use of the Amu Darya can be foreclosed or limited.

Full text






Afghanistan, the Amu Darya Basin
and Regional Treaties
Ikramuddin KAMIL


Ikramuddin129@gmail.com
Abstract
           

        
inter alia

       


      
 




 



Keywords

            


 

1 Introduction
 



3
    
      








           
         

        


      Water Resources Development in Northern
Afghanistan and its Implications for Amu Darya Basin    
  

           
      
               
    

          
    

 
    


           

      
   





         


   
          
           
           
           
          

            
  


      










              
            

  

   

          
   
            
             
 
    
     


     
          
             


 



 





    

          
         
   

 









           

2 Hydrology of the Amu Darya
             
           

 

  
          

 
  









  







   
     
         
 
         







 
 Legal System Governing Amu Darya Basin

 
 
           

    
      https://afghanwaters.net/en/map
-amu-river-basin/.
      
           
Central Asian Waters: Social, Economic, Environmental
and Governance Puzzle
 

 

3 The Soviet Legacy of Water Management

1



          
 


             
   


  

   



     

   

  
Creeping Environmental Problems and
Sustainable Development in the Aral Sea Basin
 
 
   Irrigation in Central Asia – Social, Economic and Environmental
Considerations
 

          

 
 

 
             







           

       
           
1
 
    

   
           
            


         

       
         

4 Reasons for Afghanistan’s Exclusion from the Current Legal Regime
         



        


 
 
 
         
          

 
 

 

          

 


         



        
          



 


    

     
        
         

           

 

 


          

 
 
 

 
 
 



      
          
  


 

5 Current Legal Regime Managing the Amu Darya
     


     




5.1 Agreements between Afghanistan and Russia or the Former USSR
    
           



        

     








 
 

 








          

    
        









           
 
          



      

é





 
 
            
Environment and
Security in the Amu Darya Basin
 




          





        
   



5.2 Agreements among the CAR s

    


           

   
           

   
        



     
            
          
2
            
            

 
 
 
 
 

 






         
            
         
       


          
          


      


 
          




 
 
 
 
 66
Country BCM per year Percentage
Kyrgyzstan  
Tajikistan  
Turkmenistan  
Uzbekistan  
Total 61.50 100.00


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     
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

      
        
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 
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   
 
               
  

         
          

           


 

 







        
      
         
       

       
  


 1          
          
       

 

             







 
 
        M
   D Research Handbook on International Water
Law
 
 
     






inter alia


            
        
       
      

         
  
        

 



          
      
  

   
        
       
           



shalldecideduties
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

      
         




6 Legal Implications of Afghanistan’s Exclusion from Transboundary
Water-Sharing Agreements



 


    

6.1 VCLT and Third States’ Rights and Obligations





       
   



        


 
 Textbook on International Law 



         

           



 
   








           

           
 Vienna Convention on the Law of
Treaties: A Commentary
         
        

       
        
    Free Zones of Upper Savoy and
District of Gex 

Case of the Free Zones of Upper Savoy and the District of Gex (Switzerland v
France)
   Certain German Interest in Polish Upper Silesia

   Certain German Interests in
Polish Upper Silesia (Germany v Poland)    Anglo-Iranian
Oil Co.

res inter alios acta’. Anglo-Iranian Oil Co Case ((United Kingdom v. Iran)

 
 Modern Treaty Law and Practice
 
 

 






          






   





          

     
     
         
          


1




            


 The Law of International
Watercourses
 
             






  




         







  

 
          
          










 
 
 
 
 The Law of International Watercourses

 




  



  

      

           
       
     
        

6.2 Early and Late Developers and the Foreclosure of Afghanistan’s
Future Use
         



   

   


            
    International Watercourses –
Enhancing Cooperation and Managing Conflict
 
     

 

   

 






  
      


       

1          
    
           



2

   
           


Gabčíkovo-Nagymaros
 
 

 
 
 

 
 

        

 
 
 

      



 

     






    





        







      

            




 Case Concerning the Gabčíkovo-Nagymaros Project (Hungary vs Slovakia)
 
            

International Watercourses – Enhancing Cooperation
and Managing Conflict
 
 
 
     Promoting Justice, Human Rights, and Conflict Resolution
through International Law




      


     


  





         


 



     



   


         


 

 

 
 
 
    
      


 





  

         




        
  

  

    
    










            
          

           

       

   

 
 
 







          



   




 

7 Conclusion
       
    
         
 

       
      

    

  


            
         
     

 
      International Watercourses – Enhancing
Cooperation and Managing Conflict

 



      
 
    
           
           

Acknowledgement
         
         


