Hydro-diplomacy as a strategic lever: comparative insights from India and China in regional cooperation and global water governance

Abstract

Hydro-diplomacy has become a strategic tool for rising powers to balance regional cooperation and have an impact on global water governance. This paper compares India and China to see how they can use their shared water resources to improve their global standing and strengthen their regional alliances. India and China both have several concerns to deal with when it comes to the Brahmaputra River Basin, which is very important for stability and growth in the region. India uses hydro-diplomacy to build cooperative structures in South Asia, with a focus on fair water sharing and ways to settle disputes. On the other hand, China uses its position as an upstream riparian state to influence regional policies, often making its water strategies fit with its larger geopolitical goals. The use of the water events intensity scale and long-term water conflict forecast helps us better understand hydro-diplomacy as an important part of the foreign policy of rising powers. It also gives us ideas about how it could change regional dynamics and the way the world is governed.