Need for Review of Indus Water Treaty 

Source: This post Need for Review of Indus Water Treaty has been created based on the article “India, Pakistan and modifying the Indus Waters Treaty”, published in The Hindu on 8th Nov 2024. 

UPSC Syllabus Topics: GS Paper 2 – International Relations  

News: India issued a formal notice on August 30, 2024, to Pakistan to revisit and potentially amend the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). India has cited the need for sustainable water management due to rising domestic demands. 

Read – Indus Water Treaty- Concerns and Way Forward 

The IWT is a significant water-sharing agreement, granting Pakistan rights over the western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab) and India rights over the eastern rivers (Ravi, Sutlej, Beas). 

What are the reasons for revision of the treaty? 

Division of River Basin: Ensuring optimum utilization and maintaining minimum flow requires, integrated water resources management of entire Indus Water Basin. This task has been complicated by the division of rivers among India and Pakistan.  

Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA): Despite the treaty lacking explicit EIA requirements, international legal precedents, such as the ICJ’s ruling on the Uruguay River (2010), suggest that both nations should conduct EIAs for projects with cross-border implications. 

Adapting to Climate Change: The treaty’s current structure does not account for climate change effects, such as glacial melt and water flow variability. These changes are critical, as they affect water availability and may cause a 30-40% reduction in the Indus’s flow, impacting both countries’ water security. 

What can be done? 

Exploring Cooperative Frameworks: Experts suggest that India and Pakistan could leverage the IWT’s negotiation mechanisms to create a memorandum of understanding (MoU) addressing immediate concerns while upholding the treaty’s foundational structure. Such MoUs could pave the way for ongoing discussions on complex issues without requiring a complete treaty overhaul.