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Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Dr Musadik Malik on Tuesday warned against “water aggression” and efforts to undermine international water-sharing agreements, urging India to respect the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) of 1960.
Addressing a high-level international water conference — the Fourth High-Level International Conference on the International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable Development” (2018–2028) — in Tajikistan’s capital Dushanbe, the minister warned that attempts to undermine such agreements could jeopardise the rights of downstream countries. He accused India of seeking to politicise shared water resources in violation of longstanding international commitments.
The minister added that unilateral actions affecting transboundary rivers could create serious global challenges related to water security, food production and climate resilience.
Malik said water aggression was unacceptable, stressing that no country should be allowed to use water as a weapon or suspend international agreements unilaterally while depriving other nations of their lawful water rights.
