Helmand river

• Iran and Afghanistan are locked in a long-standing dispute over water sharing from the Helmand River.

About Helmand River

• The Helmand is Afghanistan’s longest river.
• It originates near Kabul in the western Hindu Kush mountain range and flows in a southwesterly direction through desert areas for a total of about 1,150 kilometers before emptying into Lake Hamun, which straddles the Afghanistan-Iran border.
  • Lake Hamun is the largest freshwater lake in Iran.
  • It used to be one of the world’s largest wetlands fed by Helmand.
• It is separated from the watershed of the Kabul River by the Unai Pass.
• The Helmand River is a vital source of water for both sides, supporting agriculture, livelihoods and ecosystems in the region.

The dispute

• Afghanistan and Iran signed the Helmand River Treaty in 1973 to regulate the allocation of river water.
  • But the accord was neither ratified nor fully implemented, causing disagreements and tensions to persist.
• Iran has accused Afghanistan of violating its water rights for years, arguing that far less water than the amount agreed to in the 1973 treaty flows into Iran.