Assessment of growing water and food security crises in Afghanistan

Yıl 2023, Cilt: 1 Sayı: 6, 5 - 28, 24.01.2023

Fulya Aydın-kandemir , Dursun Yıldız

Öz

Afghanistan's national water development and management, as well as regional peace and security, may suffer from a more significant gulf in its interactions with the international community. Therefore, what would happen if Afghanistan cannot utilize its water resources and is cut off from the rest of the world must be clear. This necessitates research into regional threats associated with increasing water insecurity. According to a 2013 UNEP assessment, 70–80% of Afghans depend on agriculture, animal husbandry, and artisanal mining as their primary income and survival. If food hardship, water shortage, and population increase continue, Afghanistan's chances for peace and stability are dim. Suppose Afghanistan's water resources are not developed and managed sustainably. In that case, they could become the primary source of social unrest, instability, mass migration, and escalating conflict among the riparian nations linked by economic, historical, cultural, and environmental links. The protracted crisis has made it harder for Afghanistan to deal with food and water insecurity challenges.

Moreover, natural catastrophes have put additional strain on the country's already flimsy government structure. The international community must therefore consider the food and water crises in Afghanistan along with their impact on regional instability and Afghanistan's security position. In this context, this study includes research on Afghanistan's key crops, water potential, and the development of droughts. As a result, the nation's food and water security topic was evaluated.

Anahtar Kelimeler

transboundary basin, regional water security, hydropolitics, peace, stability, food security, wheat, data analysis

Kaynakça

• References Ahmadi, S., Irfan, M., & Sultanzoy, F. (2022). Impact of social media on Agricultural Extension in Afghanistan – A Case of Ahmad Aba District. International Journal for Research in Applied Sciences and Biotechnology, 9(2), 67-72. https://doi.org/10.31033/ijrasb.9.2.9.
• Ahmadzai, S., & McKinna, A. (2018). Afghanistan electrical energy and trans-boundary water systems analyses: Challenges and opportunities. Elsevier Energy Reports 4, 435-469. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egyr.2018.06.003.
• Barlas, A. W. (2022). Population Movements in Afghanistan: A Historical Overview, Migration Trends under the Taliban Regime, and Future Outlooks. Munich Personal RePEc Archive. MPRA Paper No. 114179. Bertelsmann Stiftung (2022). Afghanistan. https://bti-project.org/en/reports/country-dashboard/AFG. Accessed 10 October 2022.
• Blood, P. R. (2001). Afghanistan: A Country Study. Washington: GPO for the Library of Congress. DeWitt, J. D., Boston, K. M. Alessi, M. A., & Chirico, P. G. (2022). Quantifying and visualizing 32 years of agricultural land use change in Kabul, Afghanistan. Journal of Maps. DOI: 10.1080/17445647.2022.2063079.
• FAO, (2022). Afghanistan: Humanitarian assistance averted a food security catastrophe in the harsh winter months, but hunger persists at unprecedented levels.
• https://www.fao.org/asiapacific/news/detail-events/en/c/1507594/. Accessed 10 October 2022.
• FAO GIEWS, (2022). [Dataset] Earth Observation: Afghanistan.
• https://www.fao.org/giews/earthobservation/country/index.jsp?lang=en&code=AFG. Accessed 10 September 2022.
• Favre, R., & Kamal, G. M. (2004). Watershed Atlas of Afghanistan. First Edition. MIWRE, FAO, SDC, AIMS, AREU, Kabul.
• Herd, G. (2021). The Causes and the Consequences of Strategic Failure in Afghanistan? George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies.
• IESS, (2022). A look at Afghanistan's Hydro-hegemony Policy. https://www.iess.ir/en/analysis/3114/. Accessed 20 September 2022.
• IFRC, (2022). Afghanistan: Food shortages escalate as spring fields remain bare. https://www.ifrc.org/press-release/afghanistan-food-shortages-escalate-spring-fields-remain-bare. Accessed 04 November 2022.
• Institute for Economics & Peace. Global Peace Index, (2021). Measuring Peace in a Complex World, Sydney. https://www.visionofhumanity.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Afghanistan-briefing-2021.pdf. Accessed 05 February 2022.
• Kamil, I. (2021). Afghanistan, the Amu Darya Basin and Regional Treaties, Chinese Journal of Environmental Law, 5(1), 37-62. doi: https://doi.org/10.1163/24686042-12340063.
• Khairi, M., Safdari, M., & Shahkari, A.S. (2022). An Integrated Investigation into the Socioeconomic Factors Threatening Crop Marketing: A Comparative Study on Faryab Province of Afghanistan and the Sistan Region of Iran. Environmental Energy and Economic Research, 6(2), S036. DOI 10.22097/EEER.2022.276998.1188.
• Khaliq, A. J. A., & Boz, I. (2018). The Role of agriculture in the economy of Afghanistan, 2nd International Conference on Food and Agriculture Economics, April 2018, Alanya, Turkey.
• Kenyon, P. (2021). How turmoil in Afghanistan has impacted agriculture — a vital part of its livelihood. NPR, https://www.npr.org/2021/10/25/1049092924/how-turmoil-in-afghanistan-has-impacted-agriculture-a-vital-part-of-its-liveliho. Accessed 03 November 2022.
• Khan, A. (2022). Current Afghanistan Crisis: The Impact of External Factors on Internal Crisis. Global Regional Review (GRR), 7(1), 118-129.
• King, M., & Sturtewagen, B. (2010). Making the Most of Afghanistan's River Basins Opportunities for Regional Cooperation. East West Institute. www.ewi.info.
• Knoema (2022). Afghanistan - Total area equipped for irrigation. "https://knoema.com/atlas/Afghanistan/topics/Land-Use/Area/Total-area-equipped-for-irrigation". Accessed 21 October 2022.
• Najmuddin, O., Qamer, F. M., Gul, H., Zhuang, W., & Zhang, F. (2021). Cropland use preferences under land, water and labour constraints— implications for wheat self-sufficiency in the Kabul River basin, Afghanistan. Food Security, 13, 955–979. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-021-01147-x
• Nengroo, I. A. (2012). Irrigation Potential and Levels of Agricultural Development in Afghanistan. University of Kashmir Doctorate Thesis.
• Nicholson, M., & Landay, J. (2022). U.N. chief tells Security Council: Afghanistan 'hanging by thread. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/un-chief-tells-security-council-afghanistan-hanging-by-thread-2022-01-26/. Accessed 05 October 2022.
• Nori, S. M. (2020). Challenges of transboundary water governance in Afghanistan. Central Asian Journal of Water Research. 6(1), 18-38.
• Norway in the U.N. (2022). SC: Afghanistan Statement by Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre in the Security Council meeting on Afghanistan / UNAMA,
• https://www.norway.no/en/missions/UN/statements/security-council/2022/sc-afghanistan/. Accessed 20 September 2022.
• Rajmil, D., Morales, L., Aira, T., & Valles, M. C. (2022). Afghanistan: A Multidimensional Crisis. Peace Review, 34, 41-50. https://doi.org/10.1080/10402659.2022.2023428.
• Safi. I., Payab, H., Sijapati, S., & Asif, M. (2016). Analysis of The Traditional Mırab System and Pointers for Its Preservation in Afghanistan. 2 nd World Irrigation Forum (WIF2) 6-8November 2016, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
• Sayed, N., & Sadat, S.H. (2022). Climate Change Compounds Longstanding Displacement in Afghanistan. Migration Information Source, https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/climate-change-displacement-afghanistan?jr=on. Accessed 29 October 2022.
• STIMSON (2011) Transboundary Water Sharing: Iran and Afghanistan. https://www.stimson.org/2011/transboundary-water-sharing-iran-and-afghanistan-0/. Accessed 04 October 2022.
• Thomas, V., Azizi, M. A., & Behzad, K. (2016). Developing transboundary water resources: What perspectives for cooperation between Afghanistan, Iran,and Pakistan?. E.U. Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit Case Study.
• United Nations (2022). Afghanistan's future Depends on Taliban's Engagement with World, But Restrictions on Women Signal Lack of International Commitments, Briefer Warns Security Council. https://press.un.org/en/2022/sc15038.doc.htm. Accessed 02 October 2022.
• USDA (2018). Afghanistan: Low Precipitation Results in a Decline in Northern Winter Grains. Commodity Intelligence Report.
• USDA IPAD (2022). Country Summary: Afghanistan. https://ipad.fas.usda.gov/countrysummary/default.aspx?id=AF&crop=Wheat. Accessed 20 October 2022.
• Yıldız, D. (2017). Afghanistan's Transboundary Rivers and Regional Security. World Water Diplomacy & Science News. Hydropolitics Academy, Ankara. Turkey.
• Williams-Sether, T. (2008). Streamflow characteristics of streams in the Helmand Basin, Afghanistan: U.S. Geological Survey Data Series 333-341 pp.
• Ziaie (2008). Water Sector Strategy. Afghanistan National Development Strategy, p. 60.