Brahmaputra River

Brahmaputra-Barak Basin
• Has multiple-use
potential for its
abundant water
resources.
– Irrigation
– Power Generation
– Industrial development
– Fisheries
– Navigation
• Least developed
region in the world.
 Brahmaputra-Barak Basin
• The basin is shared
by Bangladesh
(7%), Bhutan,
China, India
(80%), and Nepal.
• Positions of each
country in relation
to each other
 Pollution in the Basin
• Leather industry
• One billion liters of
raw sewage a day
• Inadequate cremation
techniques.
• The Ganga Action
Plan – India attempts
to clean up?
Hindu myth in the Basin
• Bathing in water will
cleanse sins and is
life-long mission.
• Waters cleanse any
place or object.
• Ashes of dead in the
river will carry souls
to paradise.
• ‘Nowhere is the problem of cooperation
between riparian neighbors as critical as in
the Ganges-Brahnaputra basin in South
Asia. Nowhere are the benefits from
cooperation as spectacular for the futures of
the countries involved, and nowhere is the
penalty for non-cooperation as devastating’

• Former Secretary of India

 Questions for Discussion
• 1. Why have the riparian states sharing the basin not taken advantage
of the vast economical potential of their water resources?
• 2. What effect may the Hindu religious beliefs regarding the Ganga
have on future water agreements?
• 3. What effect will China’s lack of participation in basin hydropolitics
have on any decision made by India, Bangledesh, Bhutan, and Nepal?
• 4. Are the current bilateral agreements between India and the other
riparian states effective?
• 5. Is the Ganges Water Treaty between Bangledesh and India a good
solution to the water allocation issues between the two states? What
effects could harsh weather conditions have on the agreement?
• 6. Should an agreement such as the Ganges Water Treaty include
agreements regarding pollution, additional water projects, and
environmental issues? Or should one issue be tackled at a time?
• 7. What affect may third party involvement have on the basin
hydropolitics?