Treaty on sharing the Ganges waters: a milestone towards regional cooperation for development and management of water resources
Haque, M.A.
FRIEND 2002 regional hydrology bridging the gap between research and practice Fourth International Conference on FRIEND Flow Regimes from International Network Data, Cape Town, South Africa, 18-22 March 2002: 307-313
2002
Document Number: 280828
Bangladesh, the lowest riparian country of the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna (GBM) region, faces an acute shortage of water during the dry season while there is abundant water during the monsoon. Identical conditions prevail in the other GBM countries. There is potential for improving the economical and social conditions in this region by utilizing the huge water resources through regional cooperation. Progress in long-term regional cooperation has been impeded by mutual mistrust, lack of goodwill and differences in perception. The signing of the Ganges Waters Sharing Treaty, in 1996, has helped in changing the atmosphere for cooperation. This treaty, a milestone towards regional cooperation, offered the opportunity for collaboration in water-based development endeavours which will improve the prosperity of the people living in the region.