Hydro Politics: A Conflict between Pakistan and India

Abstract

Water is an important component of human life. The wider use of water plays a major role for the development of economy and survivability of state. At present there is water shortage in quantity and quality all over the world. Pakistan and India share borders as well as Indus River. India uses water as upper riparian which surely affects the supply of water to lower riparian, Pakistan. Pakistan as an agricultural state fully depends upon water for the growth of economy. The Indus Water Treaty of 1960 provides more rights to India and her full control in access of Eastern Rivers and countering of Pakistan’s water rights and growing water scarcity have led to an intense debate and concerns of hydro politics in South Asia. In South Asian region, India and Pakistan who have already complex relations, the hydro politics further worsed the situation due to limited fresh water supply. This research would analyze the mismanagement of water resources which existed within Pakistan and also analyzed the construction of Dams on Eastern Rivers by India as threatening for her. India’s construction of water saving dams and hydropower plants on rivers Chenab and Jhehlum is alarming for Pakistan and creates conflicting situation between them. These water storage reservoirs are violation of Indus Water Treaty but India rejected all allegations put by Pakistan. Pakistan has many apprehensions over India’s right to build these reservoirs. Pakistan herself is not successful in building up Kala-Bagh and Bhasha dams that is a serious concern for water scarcity within Pakistan. Climate change in Himalayas and Indian Ocean is an important issue to be discussed between them as Indus Water Treaty is unable to answer the question of climate change and its repercussions. The annual water flow in Indus is reducing. Water management policies and co-operation mechanism is required between Pakistan and India at this time when water scarcity is capturing the attention in South Asia.