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South Asia ’s International Rivers
The book highlights what are the reasons behind the conflict and cooperation on South Asia ’s international rivers.
By KESHAB POUDEL
For centuries before the introduction of legal regimes and creation of new boundaries, South Asian countries had their own indigenous modalities of sharing water of major rivers. After the creation of new boundaries and introduction of new legal regime, centuries-old system of cooperation among the nations has turned into a source of conflict.
Originated in high Himalayas of South Asian and Tibetan Autonomous region of China , South Asia ’s major rivers passes two or more than two countries before reaching to the sea. In the process, the countries as upper riparian enjoy the most compared to the lower riparian. The countries in the region don’t have to face any conflict during the rainy season when there are adequate waters in the river.
The book is co-w ritten by two well-known experts on international water law, Salman M.A. Salman, lead counsel in the Environmentally Socially Sustainable Development Law Group of the World Bank’s Legal Vice presidency and Kishor Uprety, a senior counsel in the Middle East , North Africa , and South Asia Law Group of the World Bank’s Legal Vice Presidency. Uprety has written widely on international law and development issues also.
” In recent history, shared rivers have become sources of conflict, as well as catalysts for cooperation. This situation is particularly true about the South Asian Sub-continent. Some 20 major rivers run through it, and the three largest basins, those of the Indus, the Ganges, and the Brahmaputra, affect not only the countries of sub-continent (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Pakistan), but China as well,” writes Ko-yung Tung, vice president, General Council, the World Bank, in his foreword. “Sharp seasonal variations in the volume of water flows due to climate phenomena, such as monsoons and droughts, occurring in the territory of some countries, add to the difficulty of finding equitable and durable water-sharing arrangements.”
Dispute of water sharing is not a new development in the human history as water has been a major source of conflict in the past. At a time when the world’s population continues to grow, more water is required for human consumption as well as irrigation. This will inevitably lead to more conflicts in future.
Along with the disputes and conflicts, there have also evolved legal mechanisms for settlement. The countries around the world have been following the international legal systems and experiences to overcome the crisis.
This book also tries to analyze the various water treaties signed between the countries of sub-continent. It analyzes five major treaty regimes on the South Asian subcontinent: between India and Bangladesh for the Ganges River , between India and Nepal for the Kosi, Gandaki, and Mahakali rivers and between India and Pakistan for the Indus river. The book explains the background and legal regimes of these international rivers in the context of the serious challenges to the water resources of the sub-continent posed by significant population increases, urbanization, industrialization, and environmental degradation.
In the past, the differences surfaced on the question of sharing of water among the upper riparian countries to the extent that it became the national conflict. Though Bangladesh and India signed The Ganges Treaty in 1996 for sharing the water of Ganges river during the dry season, they are yet to settle their differences from time to time.
This book provides extensive knowledge regarding the problems and prospects of water sharing in south Asia . As recognized experts on the field, the authors have made every effort to deal with the issue comprehensively.
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