New Indian authority will ease water dispute in south

Subject

Dispute over water-sharing from Cauvery river.

Significance

The government this month established a Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) in relation to the Cauvery (or Kaveri) river in southern India, on the instructions of the Supreme Court. In February, the court modified a 2007 tribunal ruling regarding interstate sharing of the river’s waters. India is at high risk in the medium term of widespread water shortage.

Impacts

• Indian cities are increasingly likely to see popular protests over water shortages.
• The recent deal ensuring that Beijing shares hydrological data on the Brahmaputra river with Delhi will help forge better bilateral ties.
• India and Pakistan will struggle to resolve their dispute over the Indus Waters Treaty.