Water-Sharing Conflict: A Case Study in the Ganga Waters Dispute between India and Bangladesh

Abstract

The demand for fresh water has increased over the years, it has also become the key source of many long-standing conflicts between regions in the same nation as well as between trans-boundary nations, leading to severe adverse consequences. In fact, different kind of water conflict has different causes and consequences shaped by political, social, cultural and economic context. Therefore, it is necessary to understand carefully the nature of these conflicts before looking for the appropriate solution to them. To understand more clearly about the conflict over sharing water in many parts of the world, this paper will look at a representative example of classic case of an upper riparian/lower riparian argument. This long-standing conflict has occurred between India and Bangladesh over the sharing trans-boundary Ganga River that is the most basic resource of economic development in both countries. After more than 50 years, this severe conflict is still on the way of threatening to the relationship regarding political and economic between two nations despite many efforts of resolving. Through this essay, the underlying causes and nature of water sharing conflict between India and Bangladesh will be explored, and then the essay will also analyze how this conflict has evolved over many decades in order to outline a comprehensive solution aim to reduce the water-sharing conflict between these two countries.