Archive · 1 Jun 2025
Indus Water and Strategic Interests: A Detailed Analysis
Imagine water as a very important resource, and sometimes a tool.
Professor Prakash talks about how water from the Indus River is super important for Pakistan, like how it helps grow food.
He suggests that India might use water to its advantage.
He also talks about how melting glaciers make it harder to predict how much water there will be, which can lead to floods or not enough water.
To help with flooding in cities, he suggests building better drainage systems, and only building in safe areas.
He also mentions how the government is deciding how to define a set of hills called the Aravallis.
It is vital to protect these areas.
Prof. Anjal Prakash discusses the strategic importance of water in the Indus Basin.
He suggests potential revision of the Indus Waters Treaty as a strategic tool for India.
Melting glaciers in the HKH region significantly impact water variability in the Indus Basin.
Urban flooding can be mitigated through integrated urban watershed management and advanced drainage systems.
The Haryana proposal for the Aravallis height could lead to an underestimation of the range's extent.
- Who
- Prof. Anjal Prakash, research director at the Bharti Institute of Public Policy, ISB.
- What
- Discusses the Indus Waters Treaty, glacial melt, urban flooding, and the Aravallis.
- When
- The interview took place recently, discussing ongoing and future water-related issues.
- Where
- Focusing on India, Pakistan, and the Indus River Basin.
- Why
- To analyze water as a strategic and environmental concern, and its implications for India and Pakistan.
Cooperation and peace
India’s strategic interests
Use of Indus Waters Treaty
Cooperation and peace
The Indus Waters Treaty should be a bridge for peace.
India’s strategic interests
Water should be used as a strategic weapon in India’s national interest.
- Percentage of Indus flow to Pakistan
- Around 80%
- Agriculture's contribution to Pakistan's GDP
- One-fourth
- Region heavily reliant on glaciers for water
- Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH)
- Number of policies suggested to mitigate urban flooding
- 3