ABSTRACT
South Asia’s abundant human and physical geography are tightly bound to the rivers that radiate out and down from the high Himalaya and the extensive Ganga, Indus, Brahmaputra, and Meghna basin aquifers. These large transboundary basins have primarily contributed to the development of human civilizations and provided livelihood security for several millennia. Water is a critical element of many South Asian culture and economy, but its many large headwater rivers frequently flood and create problems for local communities and downstream population. Simultaneously, a shortage of freshwater occurs in the dry and winter seasons. Therefore, valuing water—environmentally, economically, socially, and culturally—is essential. These water resources are now rapidly changing, and this change brings heightened risk and uncertainty. Integrated water resource management is therefore an absolute must for managing these large transboundary water resources. This chapter succinctly describes two country-specific cases that have highlighted coordination and management of water resources through global partnership.
