Overcoming the Stalemate on the Drying Tista River: Transboundary Water-sharing Challenges in South Asia – Udall Center/WRRC Co-sponsored Event

In-Person Event 

Location: University of Arizona, Environment & Natural Resources 2 (ENR2) Room S225 (1064 E. Lowell St., Tucson, AZ 85719)

South Asia's transboundary rivers are governed largely through volumetric water-allocation frameworks that often overlook ecological dynamics and the needs of riparian communities.

This presentation focuses on the long-standing political negotiations between India and Bangladesh over the Himalayan Tista/Teesta River, where intensive dam operations and climate risks have intensified water insecurity and cross-border water tensions.

It highlights:

(1) the history and politics shaping bilateral relations on Tista water-sharing,

(2) competing efforts to control the river and its benefits,

(3) impacts on river health and dependent communities, and

(4) pathways forward through an alternative, water and hydropower benefit-sharing framework.

The speaker invites a deeper conversation on building more resilient, equitable, and collaborative pathways for shared river governance.

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Dr. Kausik Ghosh is an assistant professor in the Department of Geography at Vidyasagar University, India. His Fulbright-Ka/am Climate Postdoctoral research at Penn State University focuses on developing a comprehensive framework for adaptive water management in transboundary basins.