A Doctrinal and Comparative Legal Analysis of The Indus Waters Treaty and Transboundary Water Conflicts in South Asia Under Climate Change
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55927/ijis.v5i8.63Keywords:
Transboundary Water Law, Climate Change Adaptation, International Watercourses, South Asian Water Governance, Water SecurityAbstract
Transboundary river governance in South Asia has historically been constructed upon rigid allocation-based legal frameworks grounded in assumptions of hydrological predictability and state-centric sovereignty. The accelerating impacts of climate change—manifested in glacial retreat in the Himalayan region, intensified monsoonal variability, and increased frequency of extreme hydrological events—have disrupted these foundational assumptions. This paper contends that existing treaty regimes, particularly the Indus Waters Treaty (1960), the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty (1996), and India–Nepal water agreements, are structurally ill-equipped to address the dynamic uncertainties introduced by climate change.
Through a doctrinal and comparative legal analysis, this study evaluates the compatibility of these treaties with evolving principles of international water law, including equitable utilisation, the obligation not to cause significant harm, and sustainable development. Drawing upon international jurisprudence, including decisions of the International Court of Justice and arbitral tribunals, the paper advances the concept of “adaptive hydro-legal governance” as a necessary normative shift for South Asia.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Mohit Satish Kumar Raninga, Kratika Gupta
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