WRRC Associate Publishes on South Asian Water Politics
A boat crosses the Buriganga River in Dhaka, Bangladesh
MD Abu Sufian Jewel/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Those who follow international water topics may be interested in two new publications by Dr. Pintu Kumar Mahla, a U of A Designated Campus Colleague carrying out research at the WRRC. Both articles are freely available to read online.
The first article, “Bridging Borders, Generating Power: The India–Nepal Hydro Cooperation,” was published in World Water Policy in October 2025. The article argues that hydropower is strategically vital for both India and Nepal, offering major development gains if they can jointly harness shared Himalayan river systems. It traces the historical, political, and economic evolution of India–Nepal hydro-cooperation, using a hydro-policy lens and the Basin at Risk / Water Event Intensity scale to map patterns of conflict and collaboration. While overall trends point toward a more cooperative relationship, persistent disputes over water rights and barrage management still constrain truly sustainable, mutually beneficial hydro-cooperation.
Kumar Mahla’s second article, published in The Conversation on November 3, is titled “Bangladesh’s accession to the UN Water Convention has a ripple effect that could cause problems with India.” Earlier this year, Bangladesh became the first country in South Asia to join the UN Water Convention, seeking to bolster protection of its highly vulnerable, largely transboundary rivers in the face of climate change, upstream dams in China and India, and severe domestic water stress. Kumar Mahla observes that this move shifts Bangladesh’s water diplomacy from purely bilateral deals toward a multilateral framework, strengthening its legal and negotiating leverage. As a result, there are concerns that this could weaken India’s bilateral strategy for water negotiations in South Asia.