The Hydro-Politics of Indus River Basin: The Role of Water in Pak-India Relations

Abstract

Among the shared river basins in South Asia, the Indus River Basin (IRB) ranks highly in political importance and water significance. This study looks at the strategy of water in shaping the partnership of these two nuclear states and examines the changing patterns of water politics through the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) of 1960. A case study method is applied in the research to study the ways geopolitics, water management within the country and environmental issues interact. Water issues were previously technical, but through analysis, the authors found that political leaders are now frequently using them, especially after a major event like the 2019 Pulwama attack. Research indicates that in the past, the IWT played a key role in keeping its parties at peace, though now it is experiencing fatigue because it cannot adjust to new problems such as glacial retreat, unusual monsoon patterns and questions about the legality of non-consumptive uses. Additionally, because politics within Pakistan and India are often divided, it complicates the agreement process and makes diplomatic talks harder. It illustrates that the IWT can be made more suitable for the future by putting in place climate-related protections, making its information more easily accessible and allowing greater public involvement in management. It calls for adopting adaptive methods for joint river management rather than seeing the IRB as a source of conflict between countries. The paper highlights both the risks and opportunities offered by the IRB on the topic of transboundary water governance and peace efforts in regions prone to conflict. The future is bright for Indo-Pakistani relations on water if political decisions focus on looking past competition and working on solutions together.