The seminar titled \u201cTransboundary Water Resources: A Weaponised Global Common,\u201d held in Brussels on June 18, 2026, came at a critical moment for South Asia and the wider international community. Organized by the Embassy of Pakistan to Belgium, Luxembourg, the European Union and NATO in collaboration with the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), the event highlighted a growing global concern: the weaponisation of shared water resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Water is not merely a natural resource. It is the foundation of life, agriculture, economic development, food security, environmental sustainability and social stability. When water becomes a tool of political pressure or strategic coercion, the consequences extend far beyond bilateral disputes. They threaten regional peace, human security and the very principles of international law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Pakistan, this issue is not theoretical. It is an existential concern affecting more than 250 million people whose livelihoods, food production and economic well-being depend heavily on the Indus River System.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Understanding the Indus Waters Treaty<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), signed in 1960 between Pakistan and India with the facilitation of the World Bank, is widely regarded as one of the most successful water-sharing agreements in modern history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The treaty allocated the three eastern rivers\u2014Ravi, Beas and Sutlej\u2014to India, while granting Pakistan rights over the three western rivers\u2014Indus, Jhelum and Chenab. The arrangement was not merely a political compromise; it was a carefully negotiated legal framework designed to ensure predictable and equitable water access for both countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For more than six decades, the treaty survived wars, military confrontations and political crises. Even during periods of extreme hostility, the agreement remained operational. This resilience demonstrated that water cooperation could prevail despite broader political disagreements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The treaty established clear obligations. India was permitted limited non-consumptive use of the western rivers, including certain hydropower projects, but was prohibited from interfering with the natural flow of waters in a manner that would materially affect Pakistan’s rights. The treaty also created mechanisms for information sharing, inspections, technical consultations and dispute resolution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These provisions were designed to ensure that neither side could manipulate water resources to gain a political or strategic advantage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Why Water Matters to Pakistan<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Pakistan is one of the most water-dependent countries in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Indus Basin supports nearly 90 percent of Pakistan’s agricultural production. Agriculture contributes approximately 23 percent of Pakistan’s GDP and employs nearly 37 percent of the labour force. The country’s vast irrigation network, one of the largest on earth, relies almost entirely on waters originating from the Indus River System.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Major crops such as wheat, rice, cotton and sugarcane depend on timely and predictable water flows. Millions of farmers, agricultural workers and rural families depend directly on these rivers for survival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Furthermore, Pakistan’s hydropower generation, industrial production and urban water supplies are all linked to the Indus Basin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Any disruption to these water flows has immediate implications for food security, energy security and economic stability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pakistan’s Climate Vulnerability<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The water issue becomes even more serious when viewed alongside Pakistan’s climate challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although Pakistan contributes less than one per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, it consistently ranks among the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The devastating floods of 2022 affected more than 33 million people and caused economic losses exceeding $30 billion. Simultaneously, many regions of the country face prolonged drought conditions, shrinking glaciers, declining groundwater levels and increasing water scarcity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Climate change is already placing enormous stress on Pakistan’s water resources. Under such circumstances, any deliberate restriction, diversion or manipulation of river flows can magnify existing vulnerabilities and create severe humanitarian consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Growing Concerns over Indian Actions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Pakistan has repeatedly expressed concern regarding a series of Indian projects involving reservoirs, storage facilities, river diversions and hydroelectric developments on the western rivers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Pakistani officials, these projects go beyond technical infrastructure development and collectively create the capacity to influence downstream water flows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The concern is not merely about current water availability. It is about future control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Water experts frequently note that strategic storage capacity allows upstream states to influence the timing and volume of water releases. During critical agricultural seasons, even temporary disruptions can significantly affect crop yields and irrigation schedules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pakistan fears that the cumulative impact of multiple projects could create conditions that enable what Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar described as “hydro-hegemony.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Such concerns have become more pronounced following India’s announcement that it was placing the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance after political tensions escalated. From Pakistan’s perspective, unilateral suspension of a binding international treaty sets a dangerous precedent and undermines the rule-based international order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n International agreements cannot function if one party decides to suspend obligations whenever political disagreements arise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Water as a Weapon: A Dangerous Precedent<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The deliberate use of water as a political or strategic weapon is widely regarded as unacceptable under international norms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Water is fundamentally different from other instruments of statecraft. Restricting water access affects civilians, farmers, children, public health systems and entire ecosystems. It is not governments alone that suffer; entire populations bear the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If water becomes a tool of coercion, it risks transforming a resource meant to sustain life into an instrument of instability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The international community has repeatedly emphasized that access to water is closely linked to fundamental human rights, including the rights to life, health, food and development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The weaponisation of water, therefore, raises not only political concerns but also humanitarian and ethical questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Role of the World Bank<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The World Bank played a historic role in facilitating the Indus Waters Treaty and remains an important stakeholder in its institutional framework.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While the World Bank is not an enforcement agency in the traditional sense, it possesses significant responsibilities under the treaty’s dispute-resolution mechanisms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Bank can facilitate the appointment of neutral experts and members of arbitration panels when disputes arise. It can also provide procedural support to ensure treaty mechanisms continue functioning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n More importantly, the World Bank carries considerable moral and diplomatic influence. As the institution that helped create one of the world’s most celebrated water-sharing agreements, it has a responsibility to support its continued implementation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The erosion of the Indus Waters Treaty would represent not merely a bilateral failure but a setback for international water governance worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Potential Consequences<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The consequences of undermining the treaty could be severe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n First, agricultural production in Pakistan could face substantial disruption, affecting food availability and rural livelihoods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Second, reduced water predictability could discourage investment in agriculture and related industries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Third, water insecurity could intensify social pressures, migration and economic instability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fourth, environmental degradation could accelerate through increased stress on wetlands, river ecosystems and groundwater reserves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, any escalation of water disputes between two nuclear-armed neighbours would have implications far beyond South Asia. Regional instability would affect trade, investment, energy security and broader international peace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Way Forward<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The solution lies not in confrontation but in cooperation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pakistan has consistently stated its commitment to dialogue, diplomacy and the peaceful resolution of disputes through established legal mechanisms. This approach remains the most practical and responsible path forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n India and Pakistan should recommit themselves to the full implementation of the Indus Waters Treaty. Existing dispute-resolution mechanisms should be utilised rather than bypassed. Technical differences should be addressed through neutral experts, arbitration processes and institutional dialogue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The international community should encourage respect for treaty obligations and support confidence-building measures between the two countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Climate change makes cooperation more necessary than ever. Shared challenges require shared solutions. Rather than competing over water resources, regional states must work together on conservation, flood management, data sharing, climate adaptation and sustainable development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Brussels seminar served as a timely reminder that transboundary water governance is no longer merely a technical issue. It has become a central question of international security, sustainable development and human survival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Indus Waters Treaty remains one of the most important examples of successful water diplomacy in modern history. Preserving it is not only in the interest of Pakistan and India but also in the interest of global stability and international law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Water should unite nations, not divide them. It should sustain life, not become a weapon. The future of South Asia depends on cooperation, respect for treaties and a shared commitment to ensuring that rivers remain sources of prosperity rather than instruments of conflict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n