Water Resources Cooperation between India and Nepal

Book excerpt: Trans-boundary rivers between Nepal and India have long signified both cooperation and dispute. Though both countries are highly interested in mutual cooperation for the development of the shared rivers, their attempt to bring things to a successful solution has been hampered by debate. Several treaties and agreements have been signed over time by these countries, such as the Koshi Agreement, the Mahakali Treaty, the Gandak Agreement, etc. While some of these have generated positive outcomes, others are languishing, for reasons political rather than technical. Nepal is not able to harness its water resources, while India is seeking cooperation in order to utilise the shared water. Lack of trust, negotiations and compromise along with vested political interests have affected the degree of cooperation over shared rivers between India and Nepal. To make cooperation more fruitful, the two countries first need to build trust, identify the merits and demerits, compromise for the sake of the common good, share information with each other and implement the mutually agreed upon cooperation package. The essays in this volume bring together a spectrum of viewpoints on this issue. This volume is the outcome of an international conference on this subject organised by the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Institute of Asian Studies, Kolkata (MAKAIAS) in collaboration with the B. P. Koirala India-Nepal Foundation, Embassy of India.