ABSTRACT
The key direct drivers of Kabul River Basin conflict are: agriculture development; industry; municipal water supply and sanitation services and demographic shifts. The research reveals that there is inadequate information about the transboundary water system, which is shrouded in secrecy, and inadequate local assessments of the kinds of knowledge needed to address the transboundary water system. Direct drivers of poor water quality include agriculture, industry, domestic water use and demographic shifts. Indirect drivers are political issues between and within states, culture and ethnic elements, non-water-related policies including economic growth and poverty reduction policies, the economic motivation of local industries, poverty of the local people, technological advances, international trade, climate variability and change and other natural factors. The need for mobilising cross-border knowledge generation in schools, universities and life-long learning institutions and dialogue between civil society and governments is critical to address the long-term problems of water sharing.
