Armed conflict between Iran and Afghanistan over the sharing of the drying Helmand River

Sentinel-2 MSI acquired on 23 May 2019 at 06:26:39 UTC
Sentinel-3 OLCI FR acquired on 08 May 2023 at 06:03:51 UTC
Sentinel-2 MSI acquired on 12 May 2023 at 06:26:29 UTC
Author(s): Sentinel Vision team, VisioTerra, France - svp@visioterra.fr
Keyword(s): Climate change, river, irrigated agriculture, drought, food security, salt lake, Iran, Afghanistan
Fig. 1 - S3 OLCI (08.05.2023) - View of the lower Helmand river which ends up in Hamun Lake, between and Afghanistan.
Fig. 2 - S2 (23.05.2019; 12.05.2023) - Following decreasing precipitation, Hamun lake has progressively dried up.
Lethal clashes on the border reportedly led to the deaths of two Iranian border guards and one Taliban fighter. Water management experts argue that Iranian authorities have failed to take into account the impact of climate change and prolonged droughts in the region.