Dr. Mirza Zulfiqur Rahman (Institute of Chinese Studies Delhi), Dr. Ruth Gamb (La Trobe University), Vishwa Ranjan Sinha (International Union for Conservation of Nature Asia), Ambika Vishwanath (Kubernein Initiative)

The Brahmaputra runs between China, India, Bhutan, and Bangladesh & is managed differently in different countries. While dam-building & water diversion threatens regional stability, there is no sign of an effective bilateral or multilateral water management accord in the Brahmaputra basin. Countries sharing a river need to resolve the issues through effective hydro-diplomacy but the bilateral tensions that spur the dam-building race make the river a victim, with devastating consequences for the fragile ecology and the people of the region.

Countries in the Brahmaputra basin share the same water resources and ecological corridors, and any disaster that strikes upon a country will have a trans-border impact. Can addressing water-security challenges create an alternative pathway for pooling resources, building political will, preventing conflicts, and promoting transboundary cooperation between India and China?