President Hamid Karzai Tuesday highlighted his grave concerns for Afghanistan’s water resources saying that climate change may further complicate the country’s situation into a problem it will not cope with.
At the third national conference on Afghanistan’s development and management of water resources, Karzai criticised the failure of international aid to construct more water dams even as billions of dollars poured into Afghanistan’s infrastructure projects.
“The world’s climate change will harm Afghanistan more because other countries are capable of restraining the unpleasant effects of climate change but Afghanistan does not have the capability,” Karzai said in Kabul.
He also made the claim that neighbouring countries are receiving more benefits from Afghan resources than Afghans are.
“Our neighbours should know that Afghanistan also has the right to develop. Afghanistan will use this right. But so far, our right has been infringed,” he said.
Minister of Energy and Water Mohammad Ismail Khan said that the government needs more serious management of water resources across the country and thereby help reduce poverty.
“The progress and management of water resources should help to reduce poverty in the country,” he said.
Afghanistan is a country with comparatively high water resources – an estimated 75 billion cubic meters of flowing water – however three decades of conflict have held progress in its development back.
On another note, Karzai mentioned the ongoing commentary on Afghanistan’s peace talks and the country’s future, noting that Afghanistan will lead itself.
“No country should try to lead Afghanistan’s peace talks. This statement of ours is not only to America but to neighbouring countries as well,” he said.
Karzai urged that the only source to advance peace talks is the High Peace Council, and said that any interference in the process is a conspiracy by foreigners aimed at destabilising Afghanistan.
“Any dispersion of efforts will result in the same result of the last thirty years,” he said. “I call upon the Taliban to think of a peace, out of the peace talks, that can result in a sustainable and powerful Afghanistan,” he added.
Efforts to negotiate directly with the Taliban have become stronger recently, and more often are taking place beyond Afghanistan’s borders – most recently in Pakistan and Qatar.
“The result of our peace, should be a powerful, sustainable, and unbreakable Afghanistan,” Karzai said.
Recently, a number of Taliban leaders arrived Qatar to open the political liaison office.
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