ABSTRACT
India’s hydro-hegemony creates mistrust and resentment among the other riparian states. This is the subject of Chapter 9. It first discusses the perceptions of Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh towards India, then examines them against the theory of hydro-hegemony. India is neither a leader, nor a bully; but India’s insistence on strictly bilateral approaches to transboundary water governance does impede cooperation. The chapter concludes with a discussion about how weaker states and international actors may be able to counter the hydro-hegemon.
