Indus Water Treaty Suspension Sparks Regional Alarm: Asia-Pacific’s Test for Unity and Cooperation

India's unprecedented suspension of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan-following the fatal Pahalgam terror attack-has left the Asia-Pacific stunned and wondering about the resilience of regional cooperation amid crisis. The treaty, a rare example of fruitful cross-border water management, was suspended as part of a portfolio of retaliatory measures, with India maintaining that it would not be resumed until Pakistan "credibly and irrevocably abjures" support to terrorism. This move effectively cut off joint monitoring, intelligence sharing, and exchange on vital river flows, putting millions of Pakistanis vulnerable to water insecurity and threatening the regional breadbasket of agriculture.

 

The suspension underscores how common resources may become geopolitical hotspots, and it is a stark reminder: without strong, trust-based architectures, even historic agreements may disintegrate under pressure. To the Asia-Pacific, this is a clarion call to solidify multilateral mechanisms and tip towards dialogue over division.

 

Source: Times of India, India Today, Reuters, UCL News