Journal of Policy & Governance

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VOLUME: 04(02) (DECEMBER 2024)

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M – 00436Analytical Article

Beyond Borders, Beyond Conflict: Managing the Kabul-Indus for a Shared Future

Nusrat Yaqoob*1, Hasrat Arjjumend2

1Department of Economics, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan.

Email: nusratbaloch0301@gmail.com | ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2985-5769

2The Grassroots Institute, 548 Jean Talon Ouest, Montreal, QC, H3N 1R5 Canada

E-mail: ceo@grassrootsinstitute.ca, harjjumend@gmail.com | ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4419-2791

*Corresponding author

Journal of Policy & Governance, 04(02) (December 2024), 53-73. https://doi.org/10.33002/jpg040203

Received: 09 July 2024

Published: 14 December 2024

Reviewed: 31 October 2024

Accepted: 10 November 2024

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ABSTRACT

For nearly three decades, the Kabul-Indus shared river basin has been a source of tension between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Straddling the border, the basin’s water sustains about 34 million people in urban and semi-urban areas. However, perceived inequalities in water allocation and the impacts of natural disasters have hampered cooperation in managing these vital resources. This pioneering study delves into the complexities of the Kabul Indus River basin, exploring potential opportunities for cooperation and threats of conflict by using the TWIN methodological framework. This study investigates the complexities surrounding the Kabul-Indus basin, employing a transboundary water interaction nexus framework, by analyzing documented reports of the events, official documents, media reports, newspaper articles, and student theses from 2000 to 2024. Recent trends in the Kabul Indus River Basin suggest increased potential for cooperation, particularly in areas of shared interest. By adapting UNECE 1992, 1997 International Water Conventions setting guidelines and principles, a potential path forward can be established for cooperative water management framework between the two countries. These conventions allow for multilateral, non-binding cooperation, even in the absence of a formal agreement. This study concludes that by exploring shared interests and leveraging these conventions, Pakistan and Afghanistan can move towards a more collaborative future in managing the Kabul-Indus River Basin. This collaboration is essential for ensuring the water security of both the nations.

Keywords: Transboundary water; Kabul-Indus River basin; Cooperation; Conflict; Agreement; Water convention

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HOW TO CITE THIS PAPER?
APA Style

Yaqoob, N., & Arjjumend, H. (2024). Beyond Borders, Beyond Conflict: Managing the Kabul-Indus for a Shared Future. Journal of Policy & Governance, 04(02), 53-73. https://doi.org/10.33002/jpg040203

Harvard Style

Yaqoob, N. and Arjjumend, H. (2024). Beyond Borders, Beyond Conflict: Managing the Kabul-Indus for a Shared Future. Journal of Policy & Governance, 04(02): 53-73. DOI: https://doi.org/10.33002/jpg040203

ACS Style

Yaqoob N., Arjjumend H. Beyond Borders, Beyond Conflict: Managing the Kabul-Indus for a Shared Future. Journal of Policy & Governance, 2024, 04 (02), 53-73. https://doi.org/10.33002/jpg040203

Chicago/Turabian Style

Yaqoob, Nusrat, Arjjumend, Hasrat. 2024. “Beyond Borders, Beyond Conflict: Managing the Kabul-Indus for a Shared Future”. Journal of Policy & Governance, 04 no. 02: 53-73. https://doi.org/10.33002/jpg040203

AAA Style

Yaqoob, Nusrat and Hasrat Arjjumend. 2024. “Beyond Borders, Beyond Conflict: Managing the Kabul-Indus for a Shared Future”. Journal of Policy & Governance, 04 (02): 53-73. https://doi.org/10.33002/jpg040203

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Advisory Board

    Advisory Board

    * Prof. Dr. Ivanyshyn Volodymyr (Ukraine)

    * Mr. Tony Sevelka (Canada)

    Editors

    Executive Chief Editor

    Dr. Hasrat Arjjumend President & CEO

    The Grassroots Institute, Canada

    Deputy Editor-in-Chief

    Prof. Dr. Larysa Klymanska, Professor

    Department of Sociology and Social Work

    Lviv Polytechnic National University, Ukraine

    Associate Editor

    Dr. Mohanasundari Thangavel

    Assistant Professor (Economics)

    School of Humanities and Social Sciences

    Indian Institute of Technology Indore, India

    Dr. Ansari P. A.

    Post Doctoral Researcher

    Centre for West Asian Studies

    Jamia Millia Islamia (Central University), India

    Ms. Nusrat Yaqoob

    PhD Fellow

    Department of Economics

    University of Karachi

    & Member, UNESC0-Water (Scientific Committee)

    & Global Climate Ambassador, GYCN-WBG MTE Cohort 2022

    Editorial Board

    * Prof. Dr. George Mavrotas (Belgium)

    * Dr. Sigrid Pauwels (Belgium)

    * Prof. Dr. H. Hassan-Yari (Oman)

    * Dr. Noor Sulastry Y.A. (Oman)

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