Impacts from transboundary water rights violations in south Asia
Date
2004-10
Authors
Adel, Miah M., author
U.S. Committee on Irrigation and Drainage, publisher
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Abstract
Indian operations of upstream water diversion constructions on transboundary rivers caused sedimentation in river beds and drops in river flows to no flows destroying the aquatic habitats for Gangetic fishes and dolphins, and shortage of irrigation water in Bangladesh. In the Ganges basin alone, floodplains and ponds face a water shortage by 50% causing destruction to the natural breeding grounds of 103 Gangetic fishes. Further consequences have been extinction and endangerment of aquatic species, malnutrition among people, loss of skilled professionals, a shift in agricultural practices, obstruction to pastimes, water sports, and religious observances, closure of irrigation and industries, overdependence on groundwater, inland intrusion of saline water and damage to Sundarbans, climate change and outbreaks of environmental diseases, arsenic contamination of groundwater, the problem of rehabilitation of arsenic patients, and occurrences of devastating floods. Additionally, the upstream country has planned to divert water from the Brahmaputra, the Meghna, and the Tista, signaling the same series of effects for the remaining two-thirds of Bangladesh. To protect the riparian civilization and international water rights, the UN should play the key role to establish fair-sharing of water among the riparaian nations instead of leaving the issue with them.
Description
Presented during the USCID water management conference held on October 13-16, 2004 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The theme of the conference was "Water rights and related water supply issues."