ABSTRACT
For almost half the world’s population, water-related dreams and fears intersect in the Himalayas and on the Tibetan plateau. China and India, given the distances that the Himalayan rivers traverse the respective territories, are critical players in the hydropolitics of the region. India is simultaneously an upper, middle and lower riparian. China’s hydrological position, on the other hand, is one of complete upper xviriparian supremacy. China is the world’s most independent riparian country. This hydrological position gives it enormous latitude in shaping larger political equations with its riparian neighbours. Climate variation and its impact on water resources bind the Himalayan region together. Some of the impacts of climate change are already being observed with glacial melt, seismic activity, and unpredictable weather patterns. States would need to reorient their riparian polices on a multilateral basis. While, on the one hand, a shift from merely ‘sharing waters’ to ‘sharing benefits’ is necessary, on the other, it is imperative not to lose sight of the ecological consideration.
