Flow Of Disputes

In a region where water sharing disputes are as diverse and deep as in South Asia, Indian proposal of river linking could add more disputes say experts

By SANJAYA DHAKAL

The latest Indian proposal of linking major rivers of the region could create more disputes instead of resolving the existing one, say experts.

"The river linking project, at this juncture, would create more problems," said Dr. Umesh Parajulu, a water resource expert at a program to discuss a report on water sharing conflicts between countries of South Asia and approaches to resolve them.

Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee has unveiled an ambitious river-linking projects to trigger water resource development in India. The project requires India to enter into agreements with Nepal and Bangladesh as the latter two countries share basins of Ganges and Brahmaputra river systems.

Water sharing is going to become the most important issue in the current century, affirm experts and academicians. More so in South Asian region with burgeoning population and already home to one-fifth of humanity.

Despite huge water resource available in the region, the mismanagement and inability among and between countries of the region to reach to a mutually beneficial agreements could invite more conflicts in the days ahead.

So far as water sharing in South Asian region is concerned, frequent conflicts between India and Pakistan, India and Bangladesh and India and Nepal crop up. There are three major river systems in the region ñ Indus, Brahmaputra and Ganges basins. While the Indus basin is shared by India and Pakistan, the other two are shared by India, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh, and in some areas by China.

There are some important bilateral treaties that has been governing the water sharing regime in the region. The Indus treaty (1960) between India and Pakistan, Ganges Treaty (1996) between India and Bangladesh and Sarada Agreement (1920), Kosi Agreement (1954), Gandak Agreement (1959) and Mahakali Treaty (1996) between India and Nepal are the examples of such international water agreements in the region.

But each of the treaties are unique and distinct from each other. "While, the Indus treaty is essentially a river sharing agreement, the Ganges treaty is a water sharing agreement. The Mahakali treaty, on the other hand, is a benefit sharing agreement," said Dr. Umesh Parajuli, water expert, who led the study carried out by experts from Nepal, India, Bangladesh and Pakistan titled "Water Sharing Conflicts Between Countries and Approaches to Resolve them". Jalsrot Vikas Sanstha (JVS) of Nepal organized a talk program on June 22 to discuss the study report.

"The study report comes at a time when there is an urgent need to analyze water sharing conflicts in the region. We cannot afford to lose any more time (in harnessing our resources) bound by prejudices and pre-conceived notions," said Surya Nath Upadhyaya, a senior water resource lawyer.

Experts said that conflicts regarding water-sharing is bound to crop up if there is an ill-balanced agreement. "These conflicts are not only due to unilateral intervention in transboundary waterways, but also the social, economic and political conflicts in internal as well as international relations as is underscored by this report," said Dr. Upendra Gautam, acting secretary general of JVS. Even between Nepal and India there are hundreds of points of disagreements regarding several existing water sharing arrangements, said an expert. "In absence of clear cut machinery and modality, these apples of discord are left unattended to brew further trouble in the future," he said.

Dr. Parajuli says that it is essential to establish governing principles for sharing international waters among the riparian countries in a river basin through a framework treaty.