Why in news
- Experts emphasize the need to re-evaluate the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) to incorporate climate change and equitable water utilization principles.
- India has sought modifications to the treaty mechanism to handle altered hydrological realities and environmental flow needs.
What is the Indus Waters Treaty, 1960?
- A bilateral water-sharing agreement signed in 1960 between India and Pakistan, brokered by the World Bank.
- It allocated the Eastern Rivers (Sutlej, Beas, Ravi) exclusively to India and Western Rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab) primarily to Pakistan, subject to run-of-the-river power usage by India.
Need for revision
- Before: The 1960 treaty relied on fixed historical water flow allocations without dynamic provisions for climate variability.
- After: Proposed revisions advocate incorporating 'equitable and reasonable utilization' principles, joint environmental monitoring, and updated dispute resolution mechanisms.
Why it matters
- Crucial for transboundary water governance amidst glacial retreat and changing monsoonal patterns in the Himalayas.
- Balances upper-riparian infrastructure development requirements with lower-riparian ecological concerns.
Key terms
Run-of-the-River Project
Hydroelectric generation facilities that produce electricity without storing significant quantities of water in reservoirs.
Equitable and Reasonable Utilisation
A customary international water law principle governing shared watercourses under the 1997 UN Watercourses Convention.
Prelims facts
- Under the IWT, Permanent Indus Commission commissioners meet at least once a year alternately in India and Pakistan.
Mains discussion
- Transboundary water diplomacy in South Asia in the era of climate-induced hydrological unpredictability.
Source: The Hindu