Bangladesh and India: the Domestic and International Repercussions of Asymmetric and Securitized Hydro-Politics
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Florida International University FIU Digital Commons FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations University Graduate School 3-11-2020 Bangladesh and India: The Domestic and International Repercussions of Asymmetric and Securitized Hydro-politics Tamanna Ashraf Florida International University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd Part of the International Relations Commons Recommended Citation Ashraf, Tamanna, "Bangladesh and India: The Domestic and International Repercussions of Asymmetric and Securitized Hydro-politics" (2020). FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 4430. https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/4430 This work is brought to you for free and open access by the University Graduate School at FIU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of FIU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY Miami, Florida BANGLADESH AND INDIA: THE DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL REPERCUSSIONS OF ASYMMETRIC AND SECURITIZED HYDRO- POLITICS A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS by Tamanna Ashraf 2020 To: Dean John F. Stack, Jr. Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs This dissertation, written by Tamanna Ashraf, and entitled Bangladesh and India: The Domestic and International Repercussions of Asymmetric and Securitized Hydro-politics, having been approved in respect to style and intellectual content, is referred to you for judgment. We have read this dissertation and recommend that it be approved. _________________________________________ Susanne Zwingel ________________________________________ Pallab Mozumder ________________________________________ Mohiaddin Mesbahi, Co-Major Professor ________________________________________ Shlomi Dinar, Co-Major Professor Date of Defense: March 11, 2020 The dissertation of Tamanna Ashraf is approved. ______________________________________ Dean John F. Stack, Jr. Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs ______________________________________ Andrés, G. Gil Vice President for Research and Economic Development and Dean of the University Graduate School Florida International University, 2020 ii ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION BANGLADESH AND INDIA: THE DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL REPERCUSSIONS OF ASYMMETRIC AND SECURITIZED HYDRO-POLITICS by Tamanna Ashraf Florida International University, 2020 Miami, Florida Professor Mohiaddin Mesbahi, Co-Major Professor Professor Shlomi Dinar, Co-Major Professor India, the second-most populous country in the world, is experiencing the worst water crisis in its history, and by 2030, 40% of Indians will lack access to drinking water. Equally concerning is Bangladesh’s situation, with 2.5 million people experiencing water shortage due to increased salinity. Both India and Bangladesh share 54 transboundary rivers in the larger Ganges Brahmaputra and Meghna (GBM) basin. Even though the two nations have signed multiple agreements on the Ganges River, disputes still take place over the Ganges and other transboundary rivers. Since this region of the world is facing an increasing population and water demand, considering the factors that facilitate or stifle cooperation on water sharing is very important. The dissertation argues that domestic politics in India and Bangladesh influence international negotiation and shape cooperation and conflict over shared rivers like the Ganges, Brahmaputra, Barak, Atrai, iii and Feni. Power dynamics and the framing of water as a national security issue by both nations likewise shape India-Bangladesh water relations. This dissertation also considers China’s role in the GBM basin, as another critical riparian and its role in shaping present- day hydro-political ties between the two countries. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE Chapter 1: Introduction ....................................................................................................... 1 Water as a Human Right .................................................................................................. 1 Water Security and Human Security ................................................................................ 2 Water Security in South Asia ........................................................................................... 6 Figure 1.1 ...................................................................................................................... 7 Global physical and economic water scarcity ............................................................... 7 Security in South Asia ..................................................................................................... 8 Table 1.2 ....................................................................................................................... 9 The real GDP growth in South Asia. ............................................................................ 9 Conflict and Cooperation over Water in South Asia ..................................................... 14 Plan of the Dissertation .................................................................................................. 20 Methodology .................................................................................................................. 23 Chapter Plan ................................................................................................................... 26 Chapter 2: Literature Review, Theoretical Approach, and Hypotheses ........................... 33 On the GBM Basin......................................................................................................... 33 On Water Security and Securitization ............................................................................ 45 Domestic Politics ........................................................................................................... 59 Hydro-Hegemony .......................................................................................................... 65 Theoretical Framework of this Dissertation .................................................................. 74 Figure 2.2 .................................................................................................................... 74 India Bangladesh water relations: Theoretical Connections ....................................... 74 Chapter Three: India-Pakistan’s Engagement over the Ganges and Farakka ................... 86 The Ganges and the Hooghly Rivers during the British Colonial Era ........................... 87 Figure 3.1 .................................................................................................................... 91 Map of the Nadia rivers .............................................................................................. 91 v The Ganges and Farakka and the Partition .................................................................... 91 Figure 3.2 .................................................................................................................... 95 The districts of Bengal during Partition ...................................................................... 95 India-Pakistan: Post Partition Relations......................................................................... 97 India-Pakistan: and the Farakka Barrage Politics .......................................................... 99 India-Pakistan Era an Overview and Conclusion ........................................................ 110 Figure 3.3 .................................................................................................................. 115 India Pakistan on the Ganges: Theoretical connections ........................................... 115 Chapter Four: India-Bangladesh 1971-1995: Crests, Nadirs of Hydro-politics ............. 119 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 119 Post-1971 Negotiations: Mujib – Indira Gandhi Era (1971-1975) .............................. 120 The Ganges and Farakka: Zia – Desai-Indira Gandhi Era (1975-1981) ...................... 131 The Ganges and the Farakka: Ershad- Indira Gandhi Era (1982-1984) .............. 147 The Ganges and the Farakka: the Ershad and Rajiv Gandhi Era (1984-1989) ............ 150 The Ganges and the Farakka: Zia and Rao Era (1991-1996)....................................... 156 Conclusion ................................................................................................................... 158 Figure 4.1 .................................................................................................................. 165 Bangladesh and India: 1971-1995 Theoretical connections ..................................... 165 Chapter 5: India-Bangladesh Hydro-politics: 1996-present ........................................... 174 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 174 Pre 1996 Treaty: Zia-Rao revisited .............................................................................. 176 Prelude to the 1996 Ganges Treaty: Political Changes in India and Bangladesh ........ 178 The 1996 Ganges Treaty: Hasina-Gowda-Gujral Era (1996-1998) ............................. 190 The 1996 Treaty on Sharing of the Ganges Waters: An Analysis ............................... 194 Table 5.1 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