Unpacking Hydropower Politics in the Indus and Brahmaputra River Basins

Abstract

The Indus and Brahmaputra River basins are critical freshwater resources and focal points of cross-border cooperation. However, the rapid expansion of hydropower projects in these shared basins both reflects and exacerbates political tensions and weak institutional coordination among riparian states. This study combines the frameworks of hydro-hegemony and hydro-political vulnerability (HHPV) to examine the complex water politics of South Asia. It highlights how the pursuit of renewable energy and unresolved territorial disputes among regional rivals create significant political risks for these key river systems. The study argues that conflicting regional priorities and ambitions are central to low institutional resilience in the region, resulting in increased hydro political vulnerability in the basins.