INDIA INTERNATIONAL CENTRE

1. INDIA INTERNATIONAL CENTRE River Waters: Perspectives and Challenges for Asia SESSION VI – The Way Forward

2. INDIA INTERNATIONAL CENTRE Common natural heritage for common advantage By Hari Jaisingh

3. With all the advantages of science and technology, we, the people who are wedded to the principle of maintaining ecological balance across the national boundaries, are living in a perpetual state of crisis – the crisis that is more man-made than nature-sponsored. • This conference is in a virtual response to the specific crisis of water and its related areas of global concerns such as energy, food, irrigation, potable drinking water so that the present generation and the generation next do not suffer from wants, hunger, or handicapped by the scarcity, fears of the unknown, water-borne and environment related diseases.

4. You may accuse one of dreaming of a Crisis-free Ideal World – which has nothing to do with the existing realities. • Well, crisis will be there. They are part of life. But, the challenge before us is whether we can through a cooperative path avoid man-generated crisis by harmonizing relations with Nature for mutual benefits. • In any case, Dream we must. Today’s Dreams could be tomorrow’s reality. And this is how enterprising scientists, technologists, small-time technicians, visionary leaders and innumerable Steve Jobs have contributed to the march of mankind.

5. I know the question of water falls in an altogether different • category. It is not a matter of invention, but it is Nature’s gift to • humanity. It is part of the cycle of Nature, unevenly distributed, • and not fully harnessed across the boundary lines. • Even our domestic water resources are crying for attention. • Dr. K.L.Rao, as an engineer – minister, and Visvesvaraya about • 100 years back and later Atal Behari Vajpayee as PM • conceptualized interlinking of our rivers for the larger • good of the people on both sides of the Vindhyas. But then, the • whole concept could not be materialised due to obvious reasons.

6. I know how harsh are realities of domestic politics and • neighborhood politics, big power politics. Herein lies the • challenge for all those genuine persons who have the ability to • think big and Positively on today’s account for a better tomorrow. • And most of the people who have assembled here and who are • or wish to be Friends of Nature with all its bounty and would like • harness Nature’s resources for the good of the people without • tampering or playing with the basics of Environment to meet the • pressing needs of present times.

7. As already stated, we have the problem of domestic politics. We • have the problem of neighbourhood politics. In this politics of • negativism, what we do not seem to realize is that Nature does • not play politics. Whatever it gifts us in plentiful is to be shared • among people of all races and creed as part of Common Heritage. • Can we do? Can we make things happen?

8. My simple response is: Why not? We can, provided we have the • will to move on. • Everything is a matter of attitude, and a matter of rising • above the petty level and narrow thinking for shared advantages • and shared prosperity. • I am not sure whether the United Nations can play a meaningful • role. But in this matter, let us look at possible solutions in an • Asian perspective keeping in view varied agencies like SAARC, • ASEAN etc.

9. I am of the opinion that these regional outfits can look at the • task of exploring multi-faceted water/ river resources/ with power • generation and safe drinking water – first with Data Collection • and then accordingly work out a few alternative blueprints at the • regional and sub-regional levels. • If there is will, there will be a way. Money will be no problem in • an atmosphere of cooperation and mutual understanding. • We have a few examples of such cooperation which can be • improved upon and acted in a spirit of give and take, at least at • regional level.

10. As it is, there are of course no easy solutions to the complex • existing realities. There is a lot of mistrust and distrust among the • regional countries. • The key to regional cooperation on harnessing of trans-border • rivers to mutual advantage will largely depend on better • understanding among India and its neighbours. • Let me recall earlier reports on the Chinese plan to divert the • course of Brahmaputra, that is, Yarlung Tsangpo (Tibetan name • of the Brahmaputra), the 2,900km long river which originates from • glaciers in Tibet.

11. I would like to mention here that Tibet is known as “The Water • Tower of Asia” as it is the headwater of six major rivers flowing • Into India, Bangladesh, China, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand, • Myanmar and Vietnam. • The Tibetan Plateau is Asia’s fresh water resource for the • “deserts of Pakistan and India to the rice paddies of Southern • Vietnam, from the Tonlespal lake of Cambodia to North China • Plain.” • There are, however, problems of climate change and melting of • Glaciers which give alarming signals on the sustainability of the • Himalayan ecology.

12. The message underlined is sharp and clear : get together, learn • to cooperate, depoliticize the ecology issue and then let experts • join hands and work out a Master Plan for harnessing rivers for • water, energy and irrigation. • The happiest piece of news in this regard is China’s declaration • that it will not divert the course of the Brahmaputra waters to feed • its parched provinces in north-east or even in the north-west • (Yingang). • This opens new possibilities of cooperation in these critical areas • among two Asian Giants who could work together for larger • interests of other neighbouring countries.

13. Bilateral and multilateral regional cooperation apart, the vast Country • like India needs to have a close look at some of the mega Projects, • especially in the north-east-India. Here I would like to quote an expert • Neeraj Vagholikar, • “Common sense suggests that the long-term ecological and social • security of the ecologically sensitive floodplains in the Brahmaputra • river demands that mega projects being planned on rivers such as • Subansiri, Siang, Dibang and Lohit must be shelved. Smaller projects on • their tributaries examined and built on a case-by-case basis, could • deliver power to every single family in the North-east. But that is not and • never was the objective of economists, developers and politicians • living far away in New Delhi. Their objective is to cash in instantly by • superimposing short-term commercial infrastructure on Long-term

14. natural infrastructure of the people of the Northern (region) leaving • millions, literally, high and dry.” • This is a point of view, which can be further examined with an open mind. • Finally, I would briefly wish to talk about the Indus River Basin • which is sustaining the world’s largest irrigation system that • provides food, water and energy security to more than 215 million • people.

15. To overcome ecological climate changes and related problems, • experts have rightly suggested trans-boundary cooperation and • scientific collaboration. • The main river originates at Lake Ngangia Rinco on the Tibetan • plateau and includes the flow of such tributaries as Ravi, Beas • and Sutlej, Gilgit, Shigar, Shyok, Indus, Astor, Jhelum and • Chenab in Pakistan; and Kabul river in Afghanistan. • It is a fact that the glaciers in the Indian part of the Himalayas • have been “retreating” from the mid 19th century.

16. To quote a research paper, “There is an urgent need to • implement a vision of an integrated and sustainable management • of land, water, plants, knowledge and human resources in the • Indus Basin…..” In many international river basins, the • implementation of IRBM (Integrated River Basin Management) • policies programmes has yielded better solutions as in Australia, • the USA & South Africa. Equally relevant is the concept of IWRM • (Integrated Water Resources Management). • The need is for fresh outlook and new resolve for cooperative • thinking and action.

17. Interestingly, Pakistan’s youthful Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani • Khar has talked about Schengen – like visa system for SAARC. • Well, let us uplift ourselves a bit in tune with Nature and decide • not to block the flow of rivers/water running their natural course • by blocking their passage by constructing big dams. The spirit • of cooperation in harnessing natural resources could make all the • difference in the quality of people’s life across the national • boundaries. • Let us think Big for a Better Life for the Present and the • Generation Next.

18. INDIA INTERNATIONAL CENTRE Thank you Hari Jaisingh AUTHOR – JOURNALIST Email: hari.jaisingh@gmail.com