Indus treaty freeze will affect global politics

Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not mention the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), but his message rang clear — the fighting may have come to an end but the 64-year-old water-sharing deal with Pakistan will remain suspended, or as the Indian government put it: “in abeyance.”

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So far, the water appears to flow as freely as it has for decades, but some reports say India is considering plans to build infrastructure that would allow it to store and divert more water from the Indus River system.

The Indus is the longest river in South Asia, spanning over 3,000kms. It includes a complex system of tributaries that flows from Tibet, through Kashmir, and into Pakistan, before emptying into the Arabian Sea near Karachi.

Islamabad announced it would consider any withholding of water “an act of war” as the Indus is the most vital source of water for most of Pakistan’s farms and hydro-power plants.

So what’s at stake if one side walks away from a deal once hailed as a rare success story between the two arch-rivals — a treaty that withstood wars, terror attacks, and diplomatic freezes, perhaps until now?

Some experts worry that the entire region’s water security could be in danger.