Freshwater resources are increasingly pivotal in influencing international relations, especially in areas where significant river systems traverse state borders. South Asia, which encompasses the Indus, Ganges, Brahmaputra, Teesta, and Mahakali river basins, confronts escalating issues related to transboundary water management, climate change, swift population increase, and conflicting socioeconomic objectives. These elements have heightened apprehensions about water security and converted rivers into crucial aspects of regional geopolitics. In this context, water diplomacy has become a crucial tool for conflict prevention, enhancing collaboration, and encouraging sustainable stewardship of communal water resources. This research investigates the function of water diplomacy in resolving transboundary river disputes in South Asia by evaluating the development of regional water governance, the main catalysts of interstate conflicts, and the efficacy of current institutional and legal structures. Utilising a qualitative research methodology grounded in secondary sources, the analysis is framed via the lenses of Hydro-politics Theory, Complex Interdependence Theory, Realism, and Environmental Security. The examination reveals that despite ongoing political strife, asymmetries between upstream and downstream entities, and climate-related hydrological unpredictabilities hindering interstate collaboration, persistent diplomatic efforts and formalised water-sharing agreements have markedly diminished the chances of extensive water disputes. The research determines that bolstering basin-wide collaboration, refining data-sharing protocols, augmenting climate resilience, and fortifying regional institutions are crucial for achieving fair, sustainable, and harmonious governance of South Asia's transboundary river systems.
Water Diplomacy, Transboundary Rivers, South Asia, Hydro-politics, Water Security, Indus Basin
Mansi Parashar. Water Diplomacy and Transboundary River Conflict in South Asia. Indian Journal of Modern Research and Reviews. 2026; 4(1):295-302
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