HYDRO-HEGEMONY OR INSTITUTIONAL COOPERATION ? EVALUATING THE ROLE OF THE INDUS WATERS TREATY IN MANAGING INDIA- PAKISTAN WATER RELATIONS

The Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), signed between India and Pakistan in 1960, remains one of the most durable transboundary water-sharing agreements despite decades of political tension and conflict. This paper examines the extent to which the treaty has constrained hydro-hegemonic behaviour and promoted institutional cooperation between the two countries. Using secondary research, it analyses the treaty’s historical development, institutional mechanisms, power asymmetries, and major hydroelectric disputes involving Baglihar, Kishenganga, and Ratle. The study finds that the treaty has created meaningful restraints through river-allocation rules, the Permanent Indus Commission, data-sharing requirements, and dispute-resolution mechanisms. However, India’s upstream geographical position and greater economic and technical capacity continue to create structural advantages. The paper concludes that cooperation and hydro-hegemonic dynamics have coexisted within the Indus Basin. Climate change, rising water demand, groundwater stress, and growing securitisation further challenge the treaty, highlighting the need for stronger institutions, greater transparency, and adaptive governance going forward.