Challenges of Cooperation in the Nile and Indus River Basins: A Comparative Analysis
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Date
2020-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
This thesis has made a comparative analysis of the Nile and Indus river basins in specific hydro-political characteristics, hindering factors and challenges to cooperation, and the current hydro-political dynamics in the respective basins. In conducting this particular research, a comparative research design and qualitative research method was employed. With regard to data collection, the research has benefited from various approaches of data collection mainly document analysis. The research has explored the various conceptual, legal, and theoretical frameworks about trans-boundary hydro-politics. Several legal and theoretical doctrines and principles about the use of trans-boundary waters have also been discussed. The researcher has made a comparison in the cooperative attempts made by the Nile and Indus river basins. The findings showed that the Nile and Indus river basins have both similarities and differences in their respective challenges to cooperation. The similarities observed include: prevalence of unilateralism, power asymmetry, colonial legacy, institutional inadequacy, conflicting water use doctrines/ principles, and recently environmental pressure. In some of the hindering factors and challenges to cooperation, there are unique features in the respective basins. While the downstream riparian state is a hydro-hegemonic power in the Nile river basin, the upper riparian state is the case in the Indus river basin. Whereas, political sabotage and proxy war is prominent in the Nile case, Prevalence of terror attack as a means of water security is observed in the Indus basin. In both river basins the possibility to reach conclusive cooperation is severely affected by the mistrust and suspicion of one another. And, the findings concluded that due to the numerous challenges that both the Nile and Indus river basins are faced with, they are both unlikely to attain genuine cooperation at least in the foreseeable future.
Key words: Challenges, Cooperation, Nile Basin, Indus Basin, and Trans-boundary Rivers
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Keywords
Challenges, Cooperation, Nile Basin, Indus Basin, and Trans-boundary Rivers