Clearly, progress on trans-boundary cooperation cannot be achieved overnight. For regional cooperation related to water sharing within the Amu Darya basin to have any chance of success, political will and commitment at the highest levels of the national governments in the region is a must.
Central Asian states, apart from Afghanistan, embarked on a process of formal negotiations in order to tackle trans-boundary challenges related to the water resources of the Amu Darya as early as 1992. This has not yet resulted in a solution that is acceptable to all stakeholders. Indeed, a specific challenge in the Amu Darya Basin region concerns the lack of trust between various parties and the lack of workable and sustainable solutions put forward by local political leaders for the diverging interests of upstream and downstream states.
There is also a lack of coordination between donor activities. Besides the importance of coordinated donor support for social, economic and political change on the ground, experience in other trans-boundary river basins shows that well-aligned donor activities can play a crucial role by supporting the conclusion of an international treaty.
Another specific challenge faced in the region, and particularly in Afghanistan, is the lack of data and technical expertise relating to water management. Cooperation within the Amu Darya Basin region can only be enhanced if data and information exchanges are improved. The initial focus needs to be on the coordination of existing data collection and data-sharing frameworks. In the event of any overlap between such initiatives, they should be merged into a single go-to point for data collection and sharing. Data collection and sharing must go beyond the mere posting of data on an easily accessible shared platform. The comparability of data, regular updates and data collection methods are all important factors to take into account.
An assessment of the challenges identified shows that there is a wide variety of areas for action in regional water cooperation. Existing formal frameworks of cooperation on water in the Amu Darya basin should aim to incorporate Afghanistan as a partner. Such incorporation is likely to be incremental and can be achieved by providing an observer status first and then by gradually building up trust. Donor nations that often fund frameworks for cooperation should consider an approach which leads to the inclusion of Afghanistan in Amu Darya water cooperation projects. In addition, there is a need for local ownership and concrete local engagement. Although the Central Asian and Afghan policymakers ultimately make the decisions, external actors can play constructive support roles in the decision-making process, especially if they include the policymaking community in the donor countries.