Water rights in South Asia must be based on justice: Speakers
Water rights in South Asia should be established on the basis of justice, mutual understanding and cooperation rather than political dominance, speakers said at a seminar in Chattogram on Wednesday.
The South Asia Youth for Peace and Prosperity Society organised the seminar titled “Hydropolitics in South Asia: Water Sharing, Power and Geopolitics” at the conference room of the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at the University of Chittagong. Professor Dr Md Iqbal Sarwar of the department chaired the seminar.
Presenting the keynote paper, Muhammad Tanbirul Islam, a faculty member of the Department of Bangladesh Studies at the University of Chittagong, said hydropolitics in South Asia cannot be understood merely by examining how much water a country receives or controls.
The geographical position of countries as upstream or downstream states, their ability to control water flows, technological capacity, access to information, and political and economic relations all influence their negotiating power, he said.
“The future of South Asian rivers is not only a question of water sharing; it is also a question of cooperation, justice and shared responsibility,” he said.
He said rivers could connect states, but unequal management and political mistrust could also turn them into sources of conflict.
Future water security would depend on countries’ ability to move from competition towards information sharing, mutual trust and joint river management, he said.
Referring to India’s role in regional water politics, Tanbirul Islam called for an end to what he described as India’s hegemonic approach, saying this would help safeguard the water rights of neighbouring states and contribute to a peaceful South Asia.
As a discussant, Professor Dr AKM Mahfuzul Haque (Mahfuz Parvez), chairman of the Department of Political Science at the University of Chittagong, said attempts to use water as a weapon in South Asia pose a threat to regional peace and stability.
He alleged that India is effectively destroying Bangladesh’s rivers and described it as a crime against humanity.
He called for a multidisciplinary approach to identifying challenges and opportunities related to water and rivers and urged the government to strengthen expert-led initiatives for policymaking.
Shamchuddin Elias, Chattogram bureau chief of The Business Standard, stressed the need for academic research on Bangladesh’s rivers.
Such research should assess the contribution of rivers to the country’s GDP, he said.
On the possible renewal of the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty with India, Elias said Bangladesh should not merely seek an extension of the existing agreement.
Instead, in the context of climate change, the country should actively participate in negotiations to introduce new and more equitable provisions, he said.
Professor Dr Kazi Md Barkat Ali of the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at the University of Chittagong said South Asian countries must work together to ensure water rights and fair water sharing through people-oriented agreements based on research and reliable information.
Saleh Noman, general secretary of the Chattogram Metropolitan Union of Journalists, said young people need to be familiar with policies related to water use and called for collective efforts to ensure Bangladesh’s fair share of water.
Zahidul Karim Kochi, president of the Chattogram Press Club and resident editor of Daily Amar Desh, said water has become an important element of geopolitics in South Asia.
Water agreements in the region should be based on justice and practical research while avoiding hegemonic attitudes, he said, stressing the importance of youth participation in protecting Bangladesh’s fair share of water.
