Transboundary Water Resources Management in the Context of Global Environmental Change: The Case of Bhutan Himalaya

The transboundary Himalayan Rivers flowing through Bhutan to India and Bangladesh constitute an enormous asset for economic development in a region which contains the largest number of poor people in the world. However, the rapid retreat of Himalayan glaciers has made South Asia vulnerable to a variety of water-related natural hazards and disasters such as floods, landslides, and glacial lake outbursts. As a result, the region is increasingly experiencing water-related stress such as a decline in freshwater supplies for drinking and agriculture purposes. International cooperation in transboundary water resources management could help to reduce such impacts. The objectives of this paper are to (a) illustrate water resources and their management as strategic cooperation for regional development, (b) appraise how cooperation between concerned countries can be successful in using water resources as an engine for economic growth, and (c) elaborate on climate change and its impacts on the lives and livelihoods of people in Bhutan and beyond. This paper also presents recommendations for possible areas of cooperation with a focus on water resources management in the Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna basin.