Access to Freshwater and Bilateral Relationships among Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna (GBM) Basin States
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47941/jirp.3461Keywords:
Bilateral Relations, Freshwater, GBM River Basin, Transboundary Water GovernanceAbstract
Purpose: The primary objective of this study is to examine how access to freshwater influences bilateral relationships among Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna (GBM) basin states.
Methodology: The study employs a qualitative analysis of publicly available primary and secondary scholarships, treaties, policy documents, and institutional reports related to transboundary water governance in the GBM basin. The analysis is based on resources accessed through openly accessible documents, journals, and libraries.
Findings: The study finds that unilateral control and diversion of freshwater-flows by upstream states erode trust and mutual credibility for cooperative commitments, while water scarcity generating domestic livelihood stress in downstream states. Absence of multilateral institutions prevents multilateral water-governance by limiting political space for regional cooperation. Despite having potential for harboring multilateral cooperation, the current context of water disputes basin undermines the Political and Economic Integration (PEI) across GBM basin states.
Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The study advances transboundary water governance and international political economy by framing freshwater scarcity as a structural constraint to political and economic integration. Extending hydro-political analysis to understudied GBM basin context, it shows how upstream asymmetries erode trust, weaken institutions, and impede regional integration, undermining the need for basin-wide cooperation.
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