The Hydraulic Hegemon: India’s Weaponization of Transboundary Rivers
Publisher: E-International Relations
Author(s): Md Tariqul Islam Tanvir and Shafi Md Mostofa
Date: 2025
Topics: Conflict Causes, Governance, Renewable Resources
Countries: Bangladesh, India
Bangladesh’s push for a longer, more predictable Ganges Water Treaty has brought India’s upstream tactics back into sharp focus. In a region where water scarcity and climate stress are escalating, control over transboundary rivers is no longer just a matter of resource management—it’s a lever of geopolitical influence. The recent experiences of Bangladesh and Pakistan reveal how India’s hydrological dominance can be used to sideline treaty norms, assert territorial claims, and reshape regional diplomacy. What were once shared lifelines are now contested flows in South Asia’s shifting power dynamics. That said, citing the April 22 attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir as sustained cross-border terrorism by Pakistan, India suspended a 65-year-old water-sharing treaty between the two countries.