Kabul: Pakistan faces a new water challenge as Afghanistan has announced plans to build a dam on the Kunar River, a key tributary of the Kabul River that flows into Pakistan. The move comes shortly after India tightened control over parts of the Indus River system, deepening Islamabad’s growing concerns over water security.
The order to begin construction was issued by Afghanistan’s Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, directing the Ministry of Water and Energy to launch the project immediately and to rely on Afghan construction firms. The initiative is part of the Taliban government’s wider strategy to strengthen national self-sufficiency in energy and agriculture by better managing the country’s water resources.
The Kunar River rises in the Hindu Kush mountains, flows through eastern Afghan provinces including Kunar and Nangarhar, and crosses into Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province before merging with the Kabul River. The Kabul River then joins the Indus, which plays a vital role in Pakistan’s irrigation, drinking water, and hydropower generation.
Experts warn that the dam could reduce the flow of water reaching Pakistan’s territory, especially since no formal water-sharing agreement exists between the two neighbors. Unlike the Indus River, which is governed by the Indus Waters Treaty signed between India and Pakistan, there is no such framework regulating the Kabul and Kunar rivers. This gives Afghanistan the authority to use its river systems at its discretion.
The development adds to Islamabad’s worries as it is already facing pressure from India’s recent measures to curb the flow of water from certain tributaries of the Indus River. India has cited treaty provisions allowing it to utilize more water for domestic projects, a move that Pakistan says threatens its already declining water availability.
Regional analysts believe Afghanistan’s plan is both practical and political. The Taliban government aims to improve irrigation and energy access across Afghanistan, but the project also underscores its desire to assert control over national resources amid tense relations with Pakistan. In recent months, border clashes and diplomatic disagreements have further strained ties between the two countries.
The exact specifications of the proposed Kunar dam, including its design, capacity, and cost, have not yet been made public. However, Afghan officials have called it a “priority project” expected to begin soon.
For Pakistan, the simultaneous pressure from India and Afghanistan on shared rivers presents a significant water challenge. Environmental experts warn that without regional cooperation or new water-sharing agreements, South Asia could face a future marked by rising competition and potential conflict over dwindling river resources.
The Taliban government’s decision marks another step in Afghanistan’s push to harness its natural assets, but it also highlights how control of water is emerging as a major geopolitical tool in the region. As both India and Afghanistan move to secure their water interests, Pakistan finds itself confronting a dual crisis that could reshape its long-term water and agricultural stability.