Water resources are both an asset and a source of conflict in South Asia. Examine this statement giving examples. (Answer in 150 words)

South Asia’s monsoon and Himalayan river systems provide irrigation, hydropower, navigation and ecosystems, but their transboundary character creates interdependence and contestation.

The Indus, Ganga–Brahmaputra–Meghna and smaller basins support dense agriculture and cities. Dams and storage can moderate floods, generate electricity and improve dry-season supply. Cooperation through the Indus Waters Treaty and basin-level arrangements shows the value of institutions.

Unequal timing and geography of flows, upstream projects, sediment, pollution and seasonal scarcity generate disputes. India–Pakistan disagreements concern western-river projects; India–Bangladesh debates include Teesta and dry-season Ganga flows; India–Nepal and India–China relations involve hydropower, data and downstream concerns. Climate change adds glacial and extreme-flow uncertainty.

Transparent data sharing, environmental-flow assessments, joint basin institutions, benefit sharing and climate-resilient storage can convert zero-sum claims into shared gains.

river basin, Indus Waters Treaty, Teesta, hydropower, benefit sharing