THE statement by India’s Minister of Water Resources, C.R. Patil that “not a single drop of water will be allowed to flow to Pakistan” has caused concern across South Asia. When states begin using water as a tool of political pressure or diplomatic leverage, the consequences are felt far beyond national borders. Rivers do not recognize political boundaries, nor does water flow according to religion, ethnicity or nationality. Rivers are natural waterways and when their flow has continued for centuries or even millennia under a natural system, they are regarded as international rivers or shared water resources. International law recognizes that the rights and interests of both upstream and downstream countries must be protected.

Rivers are not the property of any single country; nature created them without borders. International........

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