Kazakh Expert: Afghanistan's Construction of Kush Tepa Canal Will Disrupt Water Balance in Central Asia
Brat Yeshken, a Kazakh expert, stated in an interview with Sputnik News that the ongoing Kush Tepa Canal project in Afghanistan plans to divert water from the Amu Darya River, a border river, which will disrupt the already fragile water balance in Central Asia and reduce water supply to neighboring Turkmenistan by 80%.
The Kush Tepa Canal began construction in 2022 and has so far reached 108 kilometers. With a total planned length of 285 kilometers, the project is scheduled for completion in early 2027. The canal’s water source will be drawn from the Amu Darya River, with the intake located about 90 kilometers northwest of Mazar-i-Sharif, the capital of Afghanistan’s Balkh Province. The canal will pass through Jowzjan Province and ultimately reach Faryab Province near the Turkmenistan border.
Yeshken said during the "Water for Sustainable Development" international conference held in Dushanbe: "The Kush Tepa Canal currently being excavated in Afghanistan has no right to exist. While a country may legally do this under water rights law, there are also natural laws. Constructing this canal and diverting the Amu Darya River’s flow will undermine water security across Central Asia, reducing Uzbekistan’s water supply by 15% and Turkmenistan’s by 80%."
UN experts have also expressed concern over the construction of this canal. Experts believe the project will exacerbate the ecological disaster of the Aral Sea.
Source: sputniknews
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1866184326306825/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author