Envisioning the future of cooperation on common rivers in South Asia: a cooperative security approach by Bangladesh and India to the Tipaimukh Dam

Abstract

Using the historical trends in Bangladesh–India water disputes as a background, this article argues that if Bangladesh and India approach the proposed Tipaimukh Dam on the trans-boundary Barak River from a cooperative security angle, they will be successful in making a significant deviation from the sovereignty-based approach that has been a prevailing feature of negotiations on water issues in South Asia. By emphasizing the benefit from a ‘share the resources’ model, as opposed to a ‘divide the resources’ model, such an approach will be mutually beneficial and may have significant ‘spill-over’ repercussions for multilateral cooperation on rivers in South Asia.