On the Afghanistan-Iran border, climate change fuels a fight over water

Earlier this year, Mohammed Noman could hear the faint but persistent sound of gunshots from his farm in western Afghanistan near the border with Iran. The gunfire was a reminder that, since the Taliban won control of the nation in 2021, conflict has continued. This time, however, “The fight is over the precious water,” Noman says. Fueled in part by a prolonged drought, tensions over water between Iran and Afghanistan have escalated this year, with Iran accusing Taliban leaders of violating a long-standing agreement to share water from the Helmand River that flows from Afghanistan into Iran. In late May, clashes near the river reportedly led to the deaths of at least two Iranian border guards and one Taliban fighter. “We are close to the border, so we witnessed these battles with our own eyes,” Noman told Science Insider in June. “We live in constant fear.” Climate change could only worsen the conflict, researchers say. Although detailed data are scarce, a recent study concluded that average temperatures in Afghanistan have risen by between 0.6°C and 1.8°C since 1950. And, “If you look at the map [of Afghanistan], the area that has the highest change in temperatures [is] … where the conflict has occurred,” says water specialist Assem Mayar, a former lecturer at Kabul Polytechnic University. Other recent research finds that the hotter temperatures—together with shifts in precipitation, a growing population, exp...
Source: ScienceNOW - Category: Science Source Type: news