Qosh Tepa Canal
Qosh Tepa Canal in December 2023
Specifications
Length285 km (177 miles)
StatusUnder construction
History
Original owner Afghanistan
Construction began2022
Geography
Start pointKaldar District, Balkh Province, Afghanistan
Branch ofAmu Darya

The Qosh Tepa Canal (Pashto: د قوشتپې کنال; Persian: کانال قوش تپه; Uzbek: Qoʻshtepa kanali) is a canal being built in northern Afghanistan to divert water from the Amu Darya.[1] The main canal is expected to be 285 km long and the overall initiative seeks to convert 550,000 hectares of desert into farmland.[2] The Qosh Tepa Canal begins in Balkh Province and is expected to end in Faryab while passing through Jowzjan.[3]

The Taliban-run government of Afghanistan has made the canal a priority project and the construction begun in early 2022.[1] Images supplied by Planet Labs showed that from April 2022 to February 2023 more than 100 km of the canal had been excavated.[2] The first phase of the project was completed in October 2023,[4][5] with the second phase immediately commencing.[6][7]

Independent experts and engineers have expressed skepticism and concern about the project, stating that the Afghan government does not possess the know-how to effectively complete the canal. In particular, they have noted that there is a lack of oversight with "rudimentary" construction methods being employed.[8] In December 2023, it was reported that the canal had experienced a major breach, with satellite images showing a large body of water forming near the place where the embankment had collapsed.

Water use regime on the Amu River

A formal regime to divide the Amu's waters among the four ex-USSR republics of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan was made during the Soviet period. Being internal to the USSR, these agreements did not reflect Afghanistan's interests.[9] When construction of the canal began in 2022, Afghanistan was still not a party to any regional or international treaty on using transboundary river waters.[10] As such, no pre-arranged dispute resolution procedures were in place to address the other Amu River basin countries concerns. The Afghan government argued that Afghanistan has a generic right to use the waters of Amu River, irrespective of a formal agreement being in place.[11]

International reaction

Uzbekistan, the main down-river country potentially affected, has expressed concern that the canal will have an adverse effect on its agriculture.[12] In 2023 Uzbek officials held talks with the Taliban on the matter, though no official agreements were reached.

Environmental concerns

Environmental experts have raised concern that the Qosh Tepa Canal will make the Aral Sea situation worse by diverting even more water from Amu River.[13] A detailed analysis of the project by the independent CABAR.asia analytical publication found that construction methods employed appeared "rudimentary" and concluded the likelihood of water losses in the canal was high.[8][14]

2023 breach

In December 2023, it was reported that the Qosh Tepa Canal had experienced a major breach, with satellite imagery obtained from Sentinel-2 showing a large body of water stretching for nine kilometers on the northern bank of the canal.[15][16] The body of water was reported to be increasing.[17][18]

References

  1. 1 2 "Uzbekistan pursues dialogue with Afghanistan on fraught canal project". Eurasianet. 24 March 2023. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  2. 1 2 "The Taliban are digging an enormous canal". The Economist. 16 February 2023. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  3. ↑ "Afghanistan is building an enormous canal to draw water from Amudarya River. This may affect water availability situation in Central Asia". News Central Asia. 20 February 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  4. ↑ "Stanikzai: Use of Water of Amu River is Right of Afghanistan". TOLOnews. 11 October 2023. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  5. ↑ "Work on Phase I of Qosh Tepa canal finished ahead of deadline". Amu TV. 11 October 2023. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  6. ↑ "Second phase of construction of Qosh Tepa canal inaugurated". Ariana News. October 11, 2023. Retrieved 2023-10-12.
  7. ↑ "'IEA committed to neighbours rights on Amu River's water'". Pajhwok Afghan News. 11 October 2023. Retrieved 2023-10-12.
  8. 1 2 Abylbekova, Kunduz (22 July 2023). "Water Crisis Looming: Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan's Imperative for The Grand Afghan Canal". CABAR.asia. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  9. ↑ Kamil, Ikramuddin (2021). "Afghanistan, the Amu Darya Basin and Regional Treaties". Chinese Journal of Environmental Law. 5: 37–62. doi:10.1163/24686042-12340063. S2CID 239716547. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  10. ↑ Pannier, Bruce (17 October 2023). "Central Asia in Focus: Taliban Mark Milestone in Controversial Canal Project". RFE/RL. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  11. ↑ Qooyash, Habib Rahman (19 February 2023). "Mujahid: Afghanistan Has Right to Use Amu River Water". TOLOnews. Retrieved 2023-05-18.
  12. ↑ Safarov, Ilyos (10 February 2023). ""Толибон"ни Ўзбекистон учун фожиали канални қуришдан тўхтатиб бўладими? — экспертлар билан суҳбат" (in Uzbek). Kun. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  13. ↑ Duffy, Seamus (19 April 2023). "What Afghanistan's Qosh Tepa Canal Means for Central Asia". The Diplomat. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  14. ↑ "Uzbekistan pursues mediation with Afghanistan over Qosh Tepa canal". Eurasianet. 19 October 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  15. ↑ "«Толибон» қураётган Қўштепа каналида жиддий авария юз берган – экспертлар" (in Uzbek). Xabar. 14 December 2023. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  16. ↑ "Экологлар Қўштепа канали ўпирилганини айтишмоқда. Бу ҳақда нималар маълум?" (in Uzbek). Kun. 13 December 2023. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  17. ↑ "На возводимом талибами канале Кош-Тепа произошла авария" (in Russian). Daryo. 12 December 2023. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  18. ↑ "Экологи: На канале Коштепа, который строят талибы, произошла крупная авария" (in Russian). RFE/RL. 14 December 2023. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
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