Qosh Tepa Canal

The Qosh Tepa Canal (Pashto: کانال قوش تیپه; Uzbek: Qoʻshtepa kanali) is a recently-formed branch of the Amu River in northern Afghanistan.[2] It is being expanded by the Government of Afghanistan in order to receive and utilize its legal share of the water from the Amu River.[1][3][4] The entire length of the canal will be around 285 km (177 mi) upon completion of the project in the next five years. It starts in Kunduz Province and ends in Faryab Province, passing through Balkh and Jowzjan provinces.[5]

Qosh Tepa Canal
Specifications
Length285 km (177 miles)
StatusUnder constructtion
History
Original owner Afghanistan
Construction beganMarch 2022[1]
Geography
Start pointKaldar District, Balkh Province, Afghanistan
Branch ofAmu River

History

The Qosh Tepa Canal project was supposed to start in the 1970s by then-President Mohammad Daoud Khan.[5][3] Work was suspended after the April 1978 Saur Revolution, which was followed by the Soviet–Afghan War and later the United States War in Afghanistan. Construction of the canal officially began in March of 2022.[1] Neighboring Uzbekistan appears to be unhappy with the Afghan project.[6][2][7]

According to Afghan officials, the initiative is expected to turn 550,000 ha (1,400,000 acres) of desert into farmland.[8] Afghanistan has made the Qosh Tepa Canal a priority project. Images supplied by Planet Labs demonstrate that from April 2022 to February 2023, more than 100 km of canal was excavated.[8]

See also

References
  1. Samoon, Nazim (2 April 2023). "The QushTepa Project: Afghanistan's Bid to Reclaim Foreclosed Water". Pajhwok Afghan News. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  2. "Mujahid: Afghanistan Has Right to Use Amu River Water". TOLOnews. 19 February 2023. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  3. Duffy, Seamus (April 19, 2023). "What Afghanistan's Qosh Tepa Canal Means for Central Asia". The Diplomat. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  4. "Uzbekistan pursues dialogue with Afghanistan on fraught canal project". Eurasianet. 24 March 2023. Retrieved 2023-03-26.
  5. Rickleton, Chris (April 5, 2023). "'Not A Problem But A Disaster': Afghan Canal A Test For Taliban Ties In Water-Stressed Central Asia". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  6. "Uzbek delegation discuss need to strengthen ties with Kabul". Ariana News. March 23, 2023. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  7. Safarov, Ilyos (10 February 2023). ""Толибон"ни Ўзбекистон учун фожиали канални қуришдан тўхтатиб бўладими? — экспертлар билан суҳбат" (in Uzbek). Kun. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  8. "The Taliban are digging an enormous canal". The Economist. 16 February 2023. Retrieved 26 March 2023.

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