The Politics of Water in Indo-Pak Relations: A Critical Analysis of the Indus Waters Treaty Amidst Geopolitical and Climatic Shifts | Zenodo Skip to main Communities My dashboard Log in Sign up Published September 11, 2025 | Version v1 Journal article Open The Politics of Water in Indo-Pak Relations: A Critical Analysis of the Indus Waters Treaty Amidst Geopolitical and Climatic Shifts Authors/Creators Dr. Duryodhan Nahak 1 Show affiliations 1.
Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, P.G.D.A.V. College, University of Delhi, India Description Since 1960, the Indus Waters Treaty has provided the principal legal and political framework governing water relations between India and Pakistan. For over six decades, it has functioned as a stabilising arrangement that helped prevent open conflict over shared river systems. This article critically examines the treaty’s dual role as both a mechanism of cooperation and a framework under increasing strain. It argues that contemporary pressures are steadily undermining the treaty’s foundational principles. These pressures include the strategic deployment of treaty procedures as a form of legal leverage, persistent socio-economic grievances among riparian populations in India, and the accelerating effects of climate change on the Indus basin’s hydrology. Drawing on existing scholarship, legal analyses of disputes such as Baglihar, Kishenganga, and Ratle, and field data from Indian riparian states, the article contends that the treaty’s rigid approach to river division is ill-suited to present-day realities. India’s recent suspension of the treaty signals a shift from conflict management toward coercive hydro-politics. Without a fundamental rethinking of the treaty toward a more adaptive, basin-wide, and environmentally responsive framework, the Indus risks becoming a source of renewed conflict rather than cooperation. Files 4-1-46.1.pdf Files (225.6 kB) Name Size Download all 4-1-46.1.pdf md5:c7a1330881d3146e17151c5306bb22b2 225.6 kB Preview Download Additional details Software Repository URL https://researchtrendsjournal.com/article/629/the-politics-of-water-in-indo-pak-relations-a-critical-analysis-of-the-indus-waters-treaty-amidst-geopolitical-and-climatic-shifts 41 Views 25 Downloads Show more details All versions This version Views Total views 41 41 Downloads Total downloads 25 25 Data volume Total data volume 5.6 MB 5.6 MB More info on how stats are collected.... Versions External resources Indexed in OpenAIRE Communities Keywords and subjects Keywords Indus Water Treaty, India, Pakistan, Hydro-politics, Water-wars, Dam etc. Details DOI DOI Badge DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18631955 Markdown [](https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18631955) reStructuredText .. image:: https://zenodo.org/badge/DOI/10.5281/zenodo.18631955.svg :target: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18631955 HTML <a href="https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18631955"><img src="https://zenodo.org/badge/DOI/10.5281/zenodo.18631955.svg" alt="DOI"></a> Image URL https://zenodo.org/badge/DOI/10.5281/zenodo.18631955.svg Target URL https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18631955 Resource type Journal article Publisher International Journal of Trends in Emerging Research and Development Published in International Journal of Trends in Emerging Research and Development, 3(5), 133-137, ISSN: 2584-282X, 2025. Languages English Rights License Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International The Creative Commons Attribution license allows re-distribution and re-use of a licensed work on the condition that the creator is appropriately credited. Read more Citation Export Technical metadata Created April 14, 2026 Modified April 14, 2026 Jump up About About Policies Infrastructure Principles Projects Roadmap Contact Blog Blog Support Help FAQ Developers REST API OAI-PMH Contribute GitHub Donate Funded by Powered by CERN Data Centre & InvenioRDM Status Privacy policy Cookie policy Terms of Use This site uses cookies. Find out more on how we use cookies Accept all cookies Accept only essential cookies