نوع مقاله : مقاله پژوهشی
نویسندگان
1 گروه جغرافیا ، دانشکده ادبیات و علوم انسانی ، دانشگاه فردوسی ، شهر مشهد ، ایـران.
2 دانشگاه فردوسی مشهد
3 گروه جغرافیا ، دانشکده ادبیات و علوم انسانی ، دانشگاه فردوسی ، شهر مشهد ، ایـران
چکیده
کلیدواژهها
موضوعات
عنوان مقاله [English]
نویسندگان [English]
Water security, as a fundamental dimension of human security, has emerged as a strategic and multidimensional issue in recent decades, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions worldwide. Zahedan metropolis, situated in a dry climate, characterized by rapid population growth, expansion of informal settlements, and heavy reliance on transboundary water resources, faces a high level of water vulnerability. This study comprehensively assesses Zahedan's water security, examining the concurrent impacts of climate change and hydro-political dynamics in the transboundary Helmand River basin on the sustainability of the city's water resources. The research employs an applied approach with a mixed-methods design (quantitative–qualitative). In the climatic analysis, data from the CRU database at 0.5×0.5-degree spatial resolution and the Standardized Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) for 1991–2022 were used to analyze trends in temperature, precipitation, and drought in the Helmand basin. In the hydro-political analysis, documentary review, examination of treaties, policies, and upstream infrastructure initiatives in Afghanistan, along with spatial-geopolitical analysis of bilateral relations, were applied. Climatic findings indicate that the Helmand basin has experienced significant temperature increases, gradual precipitation declines, and intensified frequency and severity of droughts over the past three decades—a trend that has severely undermined the basin's natural capacity for sustainable water supply, heightening downstream areas'—particularly Zahedan's—dependence on unreliable river inflows. Conversely, hydro-political analysis reveals a dominance of competition and hydro-hegemony patterns in Iran-Afghanistan relations. Development of dams and diversion projects such as the Kamal Khan Dam, coupled with weak enforcement mechanisms of the 1973 Helmand Treaty, has imposed additional pressure on Zahedan's water security. The results demonstrate that Zahedan's water insecurity stems from the complex interplay of natural (climate change) and human-political (hydro-politics) factors, with its persistence potentially yielding far-reaching implications for food, social, economic, and national security.
کلیدواژهها [English]
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