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A social vision for the Indus Waters Treaty

Nature Water volume 3, pages 965–966 (2025)Cite this article

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People stand at the heart of water conflicts and their solutions. The way we act, cooperate, and decide will determine whether water fuels disputes or builds peace and sustainable growth. The Indus Waters Treaty, signed on 19 September 1960, demonstrated that diplomacy led by citizens can shape water management and policy. Sixty-five years later, it is time to reimagine it in a way that empowers citizens, beyond governments, to drive water cooperation and long-term security.

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References

  1. The Indus Waters Treaty (The United Nations, 1962); https://go.nature.com/4mvGJo8

  2. Mahla, P. K. China’s insertion into India-Pakistan waters dispute adds a further ripple in South Asia. The Conversation (15 July 2025); https://go.nature.com/4n88Z0c

  3. Mahla, P. K. Breaking the flow: Ecological risks of the Indus waters treaty in abeyance. Shiv Nadar University (9 June 2025); https://go.nature.com/47jSOZ2

  4. Statement by Foreign Secretary on the decision of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS). Ministry of External Affairs, India (23 April 2025); https://go.nature.com/45VNrwC

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Acknowledgements

The perspectives presented in this article reflect the personal positions of the author alone.

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  1. Water Resources Research Center, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA

    Pintu Kumar Mahla

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  1. Pintu Kumar Mahla
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Correspondence to Pintu Kumar Mahla.

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The author declares no competing interests.

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Mahla, P.K. A social vision for the Indus Waters Treaty. Nat Water 3, 965–966 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44221-025-00511-x

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