The Future of the Indus Water Treaty: Review of Indus Waters Treaty through Socio-political, Environmental, and Technical lens
J Cathrine
Head, Research & Publication, MRC, Pune
Key Highlights
- Even though there are many internal and external criticisms, IWT has managed to survive several wars and military standoffs between India and Pakistan.
- By hindering economic growth, the IWT has increased the domestic dispute over Kashmir. Kashmiris have grievances against the pact since it forbids India from using the western rivers for cultivation, hydroelectric generation, or navigation.
- The treaty offers outdated technical guidance that is unable to address the ongoing technological disputes with Indus.
- The IWT is a permanent agreement that has no expiration date, in contrast to treaties like the 1964 Columbia River Treaty between the US and Canada, which allows either of its signatories to choose to renegotiate it after 50 years.
India and Pakistan signed a water-sharing agreement in 1960 to peacefully share the waters of the Indus Basin. The uncertain water-sharing scenario between the two countries that had existed since the 1947 partition came to an end with this agreement. Of the several transboundary water agreements, the treaty has been a landmark agreement. It has survived successive wars and military standoffs between India and Pakistan despite numerous internal criticisms.
India has recently submitted a formal notice to the government of Pakistan via the Indus Commissioners inviting a round of review of the treaty after observing it for many years. Article XII of the IWT’s Final Provisions permits “a properly ratified treaty concluded for that purpose between the two governments” to modify the treaty “from time to time.” In the notice, India outlined several treaty-related issues that had either not been addressed or were being interpreted differently by the two parties. The primary topics of the next discussion will be, in particular, the treaty’s conflict resolution mechanism, environmental protection principles, and adaptability to technological advancements.
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J Cathrine
Head, Research & Publication, MRC, Pune
Cathrine is a research fellow at the Maritime Research Centre in Pune, where she is doing work on water management in the Indus Basin. Her research focuses on transboundary water issues, conflict resolution, sustainable water management, and community resilience. She graduated from St. Stephens College in Delhi with a bachelor’s degree in physics. She has also completed Ashoka University’s Young India Fellowship in Liberal Arts. She has completed her Masters in Water Science and Policy from Shiv Nadar University.