Water's role in measuring security and stability in Helmand Province, Afghanistan

The purpose of this paper is to assess the role of water in peacebuilding, cooperation and confidence building in the early phases of counterinsurgency operations in Helmand Province from Summer 2009 to Autumn 2010. For post-conflict Helmand to achieve security, it needs water to stabilize population movement, support a change from poppy cultivation to other crops, ensure food security, support public health and generate electricity. However, officials lack critical information that they need to make informed decisions about water, while counterinsurgency efforts and assistance programmes have overlooked the lead role that water can play.