Fifteenth International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences

Abstract

With the growing concern about future access to and control over water resources, globally water security is emerging as a compelling resource-based challenge with the increasing population and rising demand. Rivers are often discussed in the political corridors that transform water reserves into a competitive resource and lead to hydropolitical dynamics between riparian countries, playing major role for shaping current world politics and being the primary cause of global conflicts. Power asymmetry (lesser or greater degree) is usually present in water basins that largely affects the water interactions that are established, thereby also influencing the outcomes of and approaches to water conflicts. As more than 90% of the transboundary water agreements between Nepal and India, Indo-Nepal hydropolitics is highly important for gaining meaningful insights about the experience of Nepal in various water resource projects made with India. Nepalese hydro-politics and related issues are mainly derived from vested political interest-based behaviour and the actions framed within the special power relations of main actors- Nepal and India. For Nepal, it seems the problem embedded within the proper management, utilisation, and governance of the water resource than the availability. There is risk for Nepal that some of the water projects (like Upper Karnali & Koshi high dam) hold the potential to be used as a tempting proposition to strengthen Indian interest and influence. With its limited manoeuvrability, Nepal has sought to address the discontent and develop resistance against any hegemonic interaction to secure better opportunities for developing transboundary water resource projects.