Transboundary rivers: Missing the global voice

HOW do you dry out a nation of its water resources? Well, one way is to cut off its rivers by diverting the historical course of water flow. If desertification occurs due to climactic changes then it has a natural reason, but what if the reason is anthropogenic and also far beyond one's control?
Unilateral withdrawal and deliberate diversion of most of the water of Teesta and some 53 rivers by India is not only affecting Bangladesh but also raises a serious question about India's internal policies and politics regarding water sharing. In terms of water sharing it's clear that provinces in India think that rivers flowing over their respective boundaries are theirs to control and use. And it's all happening since water resource and its management is a provincial matter in the world's largest democracy.
So now it's clear that if we want our share of Teesta water then we will have to wait for India to introduce some basic changes in its rivers and water policy. Even if changes take place, who will guarantee that they will be made without affecting the historical flow of river waters? How can we be assured of the minimal cusecs of water we need while keeping the rivers alive within our territory?
 Sharing of Teesta or any trans-boundary river for that matter is not in our hands any more. Apart from our current sufferings at least three rivers which were part of the Teesta basin have been rendered dead with silt. Aquifer level in the Barendra region has been severely affected. In the northern region, not only are our irrigation projects being hampered but the ecosystem as well as the biodiversity is badly hit too. Amidst such happenings what's missing is 'the global voice for giving Bangladesh its fair share of water that it deserves.'
However, we haven't seen any international concern in the form of seminars, symposiums or protests organised by the various western countries regarding our fair share of water with India, or by those who claimed to be the 'true' friends of Bangladesh during our internal political turmoil or industrial disasters. Or do our 'friends' only become 'true' to raise their concern about us in times of disasters that affect their vested interests? We also don't know how we will be compensated for the incurred loss of some Tk.135 billion in our agriculture sector due to India's unilateral water withdrawal from all the 54 common rivers in the upstream (calculated by a former UN water expert).
Not only manmade disasters created by ourselves, we expect the global media, environmental and human rights organisations to focus their attention on manmade disasters designed by another country, of which Bangladesh is fast becoming a helpless victim. Raise your united global voice before Bangladesh starts turning into a desert.
 

The writer is Current Affairs Analyst, The Daily Star