Editorial
Regional approach to water management
Its growing rationale commends itself
It is somewhat disconcerting to note that the Kathmandu conference on climate change focusing the Himalayas has ended short of coming up with an official declaration. It seems to have concluded on an academic note highlighting the need for immediate actions to protect water sources being affected by the climate change. India, a major co-riparian country and Bhutan virtually didn't participate in it.
Apart from the huge potential for regional cooperation in water management remaining grossly unrealised, the issue of integrated and cooperative approach to common water resources has acquired added urgency in view of the climate change. The warming up of the north, consequent glacial melting, higher incidence of natural calamities with rising sea-level, untimely and heavy rainfalls, not to mention the diametrically opposite desertification, are the major ramifications of climate change. In the face of such a formidable challenge, what seems of critical importance is that we proceed to adopt a regional approach to protecting, conserving and developing the common water resources with integrated planning and vision.
To the extent, these are manmade, like use of fossil fuel in pursuit of development, deforestation and intra-country installations tending to regulate natural water flows to produce hydro-power and water agriculture, some such issues can be approached in a sprit of cooperation leading to a win-win outcome for all countries in south Asia.
The immense potential of the common river basins that is yet to be harnessed has us sigh and moan over what is and what could have been: generation of energy to benefit all co-riparian countries, vastly improved navigability and establishing interconnectivity, aside from flood-control and restoration of arid land to agriculture.
Therefore, the issue must be unhinged from the purely bilateral context, instead seen through a broader spectrum of regionalism. Actually, the world is moving towards greater regional integration and coordination for mutual economic benefit through harnessing common resources and greater inter-penetration of markets. There are examples of different compacts, conventions and treaties among co-riparian states which we can take a leaf off to effect inter-basin cooperation thereby unlocking dormant potential for collective progress that benefits individual countries.
Let the countries of the region disprove the experts' prediction that future conflicts in the world would centre around water.
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