Transboundary Water Sharing Issues in International and National Perspectives

Abstract

This chapter describes the parallels and interdependencies between inter-state water conflicts within India, and the transboundary ones with its neighbours, emphasizing on the Brahmaputra river basin. Water disputes in India are often more conflicted than the disputes at transboundary level. Despite that, there has been no or very little assessment conducted regarding how the decentralised and fragmented approach to water governance within India creates ambiguity over water ownership and leads to inter-state disputes, and also affects transboundary water governance. Although work has been conducted on degenerated federalism and an extensive amount of literature is available on its effect on different sectors—such as land, law & order and education—of interest here is the effect of state-based water resource management on transboundary water governance. Also, several Indian states tend to have significant influence over transboundary water governance, which sometimes leads to an additional layer of complexity. Views and sensitivities of the involved states have to be taken into account even as this extra layer of complication may fasten discussions or even prolong them. The chapter also looks at some of the concerned water policies (state and Central) and how they can possibly assist in effective governance and management of the resource. Also, introduction of a basin level organisation will be fruitful, given the intense politicking both at the state and transboundary level.