Indus Waters Treaty Suspension Puts Millions at Risk, Geneva Event Warns
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND — WEB DESK: India’s decision to place the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance has intensified concerns over water security, agriculture and the livelihoods of millions of people dependent on the Indus Basin, experts told a Geneva event focused on transboundary water cooperation.
The discussion was held on October 2 on the margins of the 63rd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council.
Legal experts, researchers, diplomats, practitioners and civil society representatives examined the relationship between international water law, human rights, climate resilience and the management of rivers shared by multiple countries.
The Indus River system featured prominently in discussions on transboundary water challenges in South Asia.
Participants highlighted the direct impact that decisions over shared rivers can have on drinking water, agriculture, food production, livelihoods, public health and communities.
Rashida Abbas, founder of the Hydro-Justice Student Research & Policy Fellowship and a PhD candidate at the University of Geneva, argued that river governance should not be treated solely as a matter between governments because changes to water management directly affect people.
She called for shared water systems to be governed through law, dialogue, scientific cooperation, functioning institutions and principles of justice.
The discussion also highlighted concerns over the use of shared water resources as a means of political pressure during periods of heightened interstate tensions.
The Indus Waters Treaty, signed in 1960 with World Bank involvement, has governed the use of the Indus river system between Pakistan and India for more than six decades.
India placed the treaty in abeyance in April 2025 following the Pahalgam attack, significantly escalating an already strained water dispute between the two countries.
Pakistan maintains that the treaty cannot be suspended unilaterally and continues to regard the agreement as legally binding.
The Permanent Court of Arbitration administering proceedings related to the treaty has maintained that the agreement remains in force despite India’s decision. India rejects the arbitration proceedings and does not accept the court’s jurisdiction in the dispute.
The Geneva discussion also examined similar challenges facing shared rivers in the Middle East, where water scarcity, climate change and geopolitical tensions are increasing pressure on freshwater resources.
Participants highlighted the importance of permanent dispute-resolution mechanisms and diplomatic engagement to prevent water disagreements from developing into broader security crises.
For Pakistan, the stakes are particularly significant because the Indus Basin supports extensive agricultural production and millions of livelihoods.
Climate change, population growth, environmental degradation and rising freshwater demand are placing additional pressure on the river system.
The Geneva event concluded with calls for established legal and institutional mechanisms governing shared rivers to continue functioning even when political relations between neighbouring countries deteriorate.
