Afghanistan’s Canal Project Looks to Deepen Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan’s Water Woes

Executive Summary:

• Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Afghanistan are facing severe water shortages, which Kabul plans to counter with the Qosh Tepa canal, which will likely exacerbate water issues in Central Asia.
• Uzbekistan’s and Turkmenistan’s economies largely rely on agriculture, and the canal project would detrimentally affect agricultural production through increased salinization and a sharp decline in water flow to both countries from the Amu Darya River.
• New agreements regarding water management between Afghanistan and the Central…