The Chenab, one of the three rivers allocated to Pakistan under the Indus Waters Treaty, seen from the riverbank in early June in Punjab province, Pakistan.
Betsy Joles for NPR
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Betsy Joles for NPR
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — High in the Himalayas, the Indus River flows over the Tibetan Plateau before branching into a web of tributaries that stretch through India and Pakistan and converge to empty into the Arabian Sea. For more than six decades, this river network has been divided between the two countries according to the Indus Waters Treaty, which broadly allocates three rivers each to India and Pakistan.
“` The red line is not a symbol of water being some mystical entity, but rather a reflection of Pakistan’s status as a predominantly dry country. The Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) allows India to construct run-of-the-river hydroelectric dams on the three western rivers allocated to Pakistan – the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab. These dams have limited or no capacity for water storage, restricting India’s ability to build dams that would impede significant water flow to Pakistan. India has already constructed multiple hydroelectric dams on these rivers, including the Kishenganga and Ratle projects, which have sparked disagreements between India and Pakistan regarding treaty compliance. Despite India declaring the treaty to be on hold, the Hague-based arbitration tribunal overseeing the Kishanganga and Ratle dispute has asserted its jurisdiction. India has rejected the court’s authority, with experts like Ashok Swain suggesting that the treaty suspension is primarily a political move aimed at Pakistan. Swain believes that both countries will eventually return to the agreement, as it remains the best option given the strained relationship and lack of trust between them. However, the current suspension of the treaty may offer India an opportunity to advance its own interests, as it has long viewed the IWT as biased in favor of Pakistan. He argues that the effects of climate change give India a valid reason to renegotiate the 1960 treaty.
Men harvest corn near the Ravi River in Lahore, Pakistan.
Betsy Joles for NPR
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Betsy Joles for NPR
