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Transboundary Water Resources
Paula Kulis
Indus River
http://debrisson.free.fr/images/pakistan/indus.jpg
Within the British Empire
• Canals link regions in the basin together– 23 barrages– 45 canals
• Overarching Authority to settle disputes
• Modern-day Pakistan is major beneficiary of development– Historic use
Timeline Part I• 1930s: British Empire begins allowing
more independence in states– Conflict
• 1947: India and Pakistan become independent states– Pakistan has historic use– India is upper riparian– Also have conflict over Kashmir– Punjab– Interim Agreement
Timeline Part II
• 1948: India cuts off flow to Pakistan through 2 canals– Crops fail– Tension on resumption of flow
• 1951: World Bank steps in– Negotiations take almost 10 years
1960: Indus Waters Treaty
• Pakistan wants separation of water supplies
• India has control over the eastern rivers– Ravi, Sutlej, Beas
• Pakistan has control over the western rivers– Indus, Chenab, Jhelum
1960: Indus Waters Treaty
• WB helps fund projects in Pakistan to compensate water loss (IBP)– Tarbela and Mangla Dams
• Tarbela was the largest earth-filled dam at the time
• 10 year transition period
• Commission to meet every year
Benefits for Pakistan
• More waterMore water
• Flood attenuation
• More agricultural land
• Hydropower
• More independence from India
Problems With the IBP
• Water logging– Water table up to 1 m below surface in some
places
• Salinity
• Sedimentation– Impacts hydropower
• Resettlement
• Environment
Problems with the Treaty
• Old treaty – population has changed water needs– India is depleting aquifers– Urbanization has increased municipal
demands
• Left India as the upper Riparian to Pakistan
• Total separation of water resources– (is this really a “problem”?)
Recent Developments
• India is planning the Baglihar Hydropower Project on the Chenab River– Pakistan claims a violation of the Treaty– WB stepping in again– Other previous development projects
• India has stopped attending annual Commission meetings
• Kashmir
Questions!
http://ai.stanford.edu/~latombe/mountain/photo/muztaghata.html
• Do you think that the treaty is a sustainable one, or is it out-dated?
• What important lessons can be learned from the Tarbela Dam project?
• Would it be beneficial for Pakistan and India to integrate their water systems? Is it possible without conflict?