The Realization of Afghan Project Qosh-Tepa in the Context of Water Issues of Central Asia

The political and legal background of the realization of Qosh-Tepa project means the construction of the channel and increase of water flow from the trans-border river Amu Darya to the territory of Northern provinces of Afghanistan. Historical and political analysis allowed to characterize historical background of the deficiency of water resources in the region, provoking tension in state-to-state relations of Afghanistan and the republics of Central Asia. The article reveals the legal base of demarcation of Soviet-Afghanistan border in the XX century and the assignment of the share of water drains of the trans-border river Amu Darya for Afghanistan and the republics of Central Asia. The results of the conducted analysis of social and economic state of population in three Afghan provinces in the North (Balkh, Jowzjan, Faryab) show that 30-40 % of population live in the conditions of hard food crisis. The article proves that the realization of Qosh-Tepa project, its construction is planned to be finished in the year 2028, solves the important national and regional problems of Afghanistan. It was revealed that the countries of the lower pond of Amu Darya - Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan will have to reduce significantly the amount of water flow from the Amu Darya, when the project of Qosh-Tepa construction is finished. Using the example of Uzbekistan the mechanisms of «smooth» inclusion of Afghanistan by Uzbek’s side in the process of negotiation are shown. The author concludes that Uzbekistan in the foreseeable future will have to accelerate the process of modernization of water management and introduce the economically efficient methods of watering cultivated lands.