ACADEMIA Letters

The Implementation of the IWRM Guided Water Reforms

in Afghanistan: Progress and Challenges
Atal Ahmadzai

The concept of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) has rapidly diffused across
the globe since 1977. As a decentralized and participatory process, IWRM promotes coor-
dinated development and management of water, land, and related resources equitably and
sustainably (Cardwell et al., 2006). It results in maximizing economic and social welfare and
ensures ecological sustainability (GWP, 2000). By 2012, the water governance of 82% of the
130 surveyed countries was informed by the IWRM principles (UN, 2012).
Afghanistan joined the club in 2009 after enacting its ever first Water Law (IRA, 2009).
The law, aimed at the protective, efficient, fair, and sustainable usage of the country’s water
resources, is informed by the IWRM principles and guidelines. Since the law’s ratification,
some small-scaled water sector reforms have been implemented in different river basins.
In 2017, a qualitative descriptive study examined the progress in implementing the water
reforms agenda in the country. A total of eighteen in-depth interviews and eight Focus Group
Discussions (FGDs) were conducted with stakeholders at central (national) and grassroots
levels, including the newly established community-level organizations such as River-based
Agencies (RBAs), River-based Councils (RBCs), Water Users Associations (WUAs), and Ir-
rigation Associations (IAs).1
1
The German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (www.giz.de) funded the research.
It was conducted by the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU) and published as an issue paper titled
“The Impacts of Water Sector Reforms on Agricultural Productivity in Afghanistan.” The paper is accessible at
AREU’s website www.areu.org.af. It is to acknowledge that Mujib Ahmad Azizi and Khalid Behzad contributed
to the project by covering the data collection in the field.

Academia Letters, June 2021 ©2021 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0

Corresponding Author: Atal Ahmadzai, ahmadzai.atal@gmail.com

Citation: Ahmadzai, A. (2021). The Implementation of the IWRM Guided Water Reforms in Afghanistan:
Progress and Challenges. Academia Letters, Article 1278. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL1278.

1
Implementation and Challenges
The implementation of the water reforms agenda at the center and river-basin levels has been
painstakingly slow. First and foremost, no River-basin Authority (RA), the recommended
basin-based organizational structure at the center of the proposed reforms agenda, has been
established in any of the five river basins. At the community level, a limited number of orga-
nizations, including WUAs and IAs, are established in the Panj Amu, Northern, Kabul, and
Harirod-Murghab river basins. The number of established organizations, however, is dispro-
portionally inadequate. For example, out of the recommended 30,000 Irrigation Associations
(IAs) in all river basins, only 350 have been established since 2009.
Besides the inherent challenges in translating the concept of IWRM into practical ini-
tiatives, including the malleability of the concept and the lack of concrete guidelines for its
implementation (Cherlet, 2012), problems specific to Afghanistan challenge the realization
of the reforms. Compromised political commitment at the central level for decentralizing
the water governance, high foreign aid/funds dependency, donors’ preferential priorities, and
worsening security situation were the main obstacles.

Lacking Political Commitment

Successful implementation of IWRM requires solid political commitment for inter-organizational
and cross-sectoral management (Medema, McIntosh, & Jeffrey, 2008). Such commitment re-
mained compromised in Afghanistan, however. The lack of political will to bring horizontal
and vertical changes in water governance was evident and acute.
The absence of inter-sectoral coordination among the line ministries, both at the policy
and implementation stages, has prevented horizontal integration. It left the implementation of
the reform agenda in disarray. Conceptually, IWRM relies on building consensus and shared
understanding (Saravanan, McDonald, & Mollinga, 2009). Paradoxical to this, the introduc-
tion of the IWRM guided reform agenda in Afghanistan has intensified inter-sectoral com-
petition. Struggle among the line ministries for securing more decision-making and imple-
mentation power, thereby attracting more funds and budgetary allocations, has left the agenda
fragmented and disintegrated. The three sectoral ministries, namely Ministry of Energy and
Water (MEW), Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livelihood (MAIL), and Ministry of
Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD), were at the center of such competition.
Fiscal budgetary politics were among the main drivers behind the power struggle. To avoid
parliamentary scrutiny, including the impeachment of ministers for low budget utilization,
given ministries keep spending the allocated resources on ad hoc bases. It has resulted in

Academia Letters, June 2021 ©2021 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0

Corresponding Author: Atal Ahmadzai, ahmadzai.atal@gmail.com

Citation: Ahmadzai, A. (2021). The Implementation of the IWRM Guided Water Reforms in Afghanistan:
Progress and Challenges. Academia Letters, Article 1278. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL1278.

2
uncoordinated expenditure. For example, MAIL constructed many tertiary irrigation canals
without coordinating these efforts with MEW, responsible for constructing main canals. In
the absence of main canals (intake), tertiary canals cannot be supplied with off-take.
The power struggle at the central level has caused challenges for decentralizing water gov-
ernance in the country. The reform agenda recommends vertical diffusion of authority from
line ministries to basin-based institutions, namely the River-basin Authorities (RAs). Under
the new Water Law, establishing RAs is aimed at efficient planning, ecological protection,
equitable distribution of water, and regulation of other water-related issues (IRA, 2009). The
resistance at the central level to establish and subsequently delegate power to RAs has ham-
pered the realization of these goals. Since enacting the law, the government could not manage
to establish a single RA. In the absence of RAs, the decentralization and integration of water
governance cannot be realized.

Community-based Organizational Dynamism

At the grassroots, the agenda has been implemented on a small scale. A limited number of
community-based organizations, including IAs, WUAs, and RBAs, have been established.
Though limited in scope and coverage, the establishment of these organizations revealed pos-
itive changes in water governance at the grassroots level.
Contrary to the lack of coordination at the central level, the newly established community-
based organizations were active in coordinating efforts. Such coordination was dynamic and
active horizontally compared to vertically. For example, IAs and WUAs actively co-operated
and coordinated effort among themselves than with RBAs, which locate a level higher in the
organizational hierarchy. Additionally, the horizontal cooperation was both inter-and cross-
organizational. For example, IAs established relationships with WUAs of the same commu-
nities and IAs and WUAs of other communities. Similarly, WUAs have established both
inter-and cross-organizational coordination, both at upstream and downstream communities.
Community-based inter-and cross-organizational efforts were aimed at influencing decision
makings of organizations located at the higher hierarchies. For instance, in the Harirod-
Murghab basin, both IAs and WUAs pressured the government to open the gates of the Salma
Dam during water scarcity.
In general, while vertical interactions were mostly politicized and power-driven, horizon-
tal cooperation at the grassroots mainly were apolitical and driven by the needs and wants
of communities. Community-based organizations did not follow the political stance of their
respective institutions at the national and provincial levels. On the contrary, these community-
based organizations’ agendas were driven by the needs and want of water users at the grass-

Academia Letters, June 2021 ©2021 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0

Corresponding Author: Atal Ahmadzai, ahmadzai.atal@gmail.com

Citation: Ahmadzai, A. (2021). The Implementation of the IWRM Guided Water Reforms in Afghanistan:
Progress and Challenges. Academia Letters, Article 1278. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL1278.

3
roots.

Conflict Mitigation at the Grassroots

Coordination among the newly established community-based organizations resulted in proac-
tive conflict mitigation and efficient water-sharing practices. IAs and WUAs were effective
in resolving and mitigating inter-and intra- communal water-based conflicts. These organi-
zations have become desirable platforms for farmers and other water users to resolve their
conflicts.
Accessibility, monitoring and supervision, enforcement of decisions, and the egalitarian
nature of the conflict resolution mechanisms have given IAs and WUAs the ability to trans-
form conflicts among water users at the community level effectively. These organizations
were physically and economically accessible to people. Equipped with technical knowledge
and tools to monitor and supervise water-sharing practices have enabled IAs to prevent water
grab/theft and resolve water-based conflicts. Furthermore, the water measuring knowledge
and instruments empowered IAs to enforce implementing their decisions effectively. While
the traditional water distribution system of Mihrab has transformed into an elitist-oriented,
individual-centered, and corruption-stained institution, the IAs are transparent and effective
because they operate in a participatory and egalitarian manner.

Agriculture Productivity
Government officials claimed up to a 35% increase in agricultural productivity due to the
implementation of the agenda. This study found no systematic evidence and measurement to
confirm the claim, however. The only anecdotal source of the 35% increase was a statement
by a high official at the High Council on Land and Water (HCLW). Furthermore, the line
ministries were found to lack any operational mechanism in place to evaluate agricultural
productivity.
Nevertheless, at the community level, farmers have acknowledged the impacts of the im-
plemented reforms on agriculture productivity due to the cumulative effects of water sharing
and irrigation infrastructure changes. These include installing the hardware (intake and offtake
gates), canal construction or rehabilitation, establishing community-based organizations, and
implementing new conflict resolution mechanisms. These changes have improved irrigation
and water management efficiency by reducing water waste, water theft/grab, and improving
water-sharing practices.

Academia Letters, June 2021 ©2021 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0

Corresponding Author: Atal Ahmadzai, ahmadzai.atal@gmail.com

Citation: Ahmadzai, A. (2021). The Implementation of the IWRM Guided Water Reforms in Afghanistan:
Progress and Challenges. Academia Letters, Article 1278. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL1278.

4
 The improved agricultural productivity, however, was insufficient in improving the liveli-
hood of the farmers. The lack of having access to local and regional markets was a common
complaint of farmers in places where implemented water reforms boosted productivity. The
uncoordinated and disintegrated reforms have failed the farmers to translate their yield into
sufficient income and economic security.

Recommendations
The progress in the implementation of the water reforms agenda is slow, disintegrated, and un-
coordinated. These shortfalls encouraged some, mainly at the central level, to ask for amend-
ing the Water Law. Such demands are unsubstantiated, premature, and lacking evidence-based
justifications. The shortfalls are not due to the inherent challenges of the reforms.
Inter-sectorial power struggle at the central level is thwarting the country’s decentraliza-
tion and integration of water governance. The existing High Council on Land and Water
(HCLW) is a political entity that, among other institutions, is composed of sectoral ministries
and is mandated to coordinate and facilitate initiatives for the expansion of water (IRA, 2009).
Ironically, the functionality and dynamics of HCLW, which the president heads, are further
centralizing water governance in the country. In addition to not neutralizing the inter-sectorial
power competition, the HCLW has created another layer of a power struggle between line min-
istries and the president’s office.
Instead, the creation of a technical, non-affiliated, and empowered working group can
effectively operationalize the implementation of the agenda. For diffusing the power struggle
at the central level, the implementation of the agenda should be revoked from the portfolio
of the line ministries. Instead, it needs to be assigned and allocated to the proposed working
group. It will be the first step in restructuring water governance based on natural boundaries,
not politically designed administrative units.

References
Cardwell, H., Cole, R., Cartwright, L., & Martin, L. (2006). Integrated Water Resources
Management: Definitions and conceptual musings. Journal of Contemporary Water Re-
search and Education, 135: 8-18.

Global Water Partnership (GWP). (2000). Integrated Water Resource Management. Techni-
cal Advisory Committee Background Paper Number 4, Global Water Partnership, Stock-
holm.

Academia Letters, June 2021 ©2021 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0

Corresponding Author: Atal Ahmadzai, ahmadzai.atal@gmail.com

Citation: Ahmadzai, A. (2021). The Implementation of the IWRM Guided Water Reforms in Afghanistan:
Progress and Challenges. Academia Letters, Article 1278. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL1278.

5
Cherlet, J. (2012).Tracing the emergence and deployment of the ‘Integrated Water Resources
Management’ paradigm. 12th EASA Biennial Conference, Nanterre, 10-13 July.

United Nations (UN). (2012). The UN-Water status report on the application of integrated
approaches to water resources management. UNEP, Nairobi, Kenya.

Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (IRA). (2009). Water law. Official Gazette, 980. Ministry
of Justice. Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. 26 April.

Medema, W., McIntosh, B., & Jeffrey, P. (2008). From premise to practice: a critical assess-
ment of integrated water resources management and adaptive management approaches in
the water sector. Ecology and Society, 13(2): 29.

Saravanan, V., McDonald, G., & Mollinga, P. (2009). Critical review of Integrated Water
Resources Management: Moving beyond polarized discourse. Natural Resources Forum,
33 (1):76–86.

Academia Letters, June 2021 ©2021 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0

Corresponding Author: Atal Ahmadzai, ahmadzai.atal@gmail.com

Citation: Ahmadzai, A. (2021). The Implementation of the IWRM Guided Water Reforms in Afghanistan:
Progress and Challenges. Academia Letters, Article 1278. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL1278.