India/Pakistan/Kashmir: Kashmir: A Water War in the Making?

Jun 9, 2016 | Baba Umar, The Diplomat
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Today Pakistan and India are locked in a bitter water conflict. Though diplomatic exertions have prevented a major escalation, both countries are entangled in legal battles as more dams and power projects come up in Kashmir. In Kashmir itself, politicians and civil society groups of all hues have been demanding a review of IWT, which has been labeled “detrimental” to the region’s economy. Pakistan and India are dangerously energy-starved and nowhere close to an agreement on disputed Kashmir. The intertwining impact of climate change and population pressures offer a forecast on their water conflict that is anything but encouraging. Predictions that the next major war will be over water are common. But is such a scenario realistic? Could both countries amicably end their water disputes?