Bridge over Troubled Waters: The Indus Waters Treaty

The Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) was a path-breaking project and negotiation success that materialized in 1960 after eight years of talks between India, Pakistan, and the World Bank. The treaty ended a simmering Indo-Pak dispute pertaining to the right of use of the rivers of the Indus system. The treaty not only specified the rights and privileges of India and Pakistan in regard to the sharing of river waters but also created a mechanism for conflict resolution in case of future disputes having to do with the rivers. The treaty’s success is due to the farsightedness of the negotiators who, while resolving the prevailing dispute, also anticipated problems that might arise in the future and provided the necessary provisions and mechanisms to address those problems. These mechanisms have since been invoked on several occasions to resolve differences between India and Pakistan on river water usage and sharing. The treaty contains several relevant lessons that deserve attention, since they may aid in resolving many of India and Pakistan’s present-day disputes. This chapter provides the dispute’s history since 1947. It recounts the history of the negotiations and illuminates key factors that have contributed to the success of those negotiations.