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India-Bangladesh Ganga Water Treaty Faces Review Amidst Strained Relations

New Delhi, December 21, 2025 – As the 30-year Ganga Water Sharing Treaty between India and Bangladesh approaches its scheduled review in 2026, the agreement faces increasing scrutiny and challenges amidst a downturn in bilateral relations.

Signed in 1996, the treaty, which governs the sharing of water from the Ganga River (known as Padma in Bangladesh) during the dry season, was once hailed as a diplomatic triumph. However, experts warn it now faces pressures from climate change, shifting geopolitical dynamics, and unresolved disputes over other shared rivers, most notably the Teesta.

Tensions have risen following the change of government in Bangladesh in August 2024, concerns over India’s Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), and growing Chinese influence in Dhaka. Bangladesh feels India has not been reciprocal to concerns, particularly surrounding the Teesta River.

The original treaty lacks climate-adaptive clauses, independent dispute resolution mechanisms, and specific environmental flow mandates, leading to perceptions in Bangladesh that it has not received its fair share of water, causing ecological and economic harm.

While the Ganga Treaty addresses only one of the 54 transboundary rivers shared by the two nations, the lack of agreements on other rivers, particularly the Teesta, exacerbates existing tensions. A proposed Teesta agreement has been stalled for years due to internal political opposition in India.

Experts are calling for a more comprehensive, basin-wide approach to water management that considers ecological flows, real-time data sharing, and integrated management of all shared rivers. Some advocate for the establishment of a joint river basin organization with dispute resolution capabilities. As the review approaches, both nations must navigate these complex issues to ensure equitable and sustainable water governance in the region. Failure to do so risks a descent into hydro-nationalism and increased regional instability.

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