Conflict, Cooperation, and Climate Resilience in the Governance of South Asia's Transboundary Rivers

This book highlights that climate change is not solely an environmental issue but also a profound geopolitical stressor for TRB governance in South Asia. River regimes are rapidly transforming, with pressures such as rising temperatures, unpredictable flows, and accelerated glacier retreat intensifying existing challenges. The nexus of climate, conflict, and cooperation reveals a complex interplay of ecological vulnerability, geopolitical tension, and diplomatic opportunity. Climate change acts as a threat multiplier, accelerating glacial retreat, increasing monsoonal variability, and raising the frequency and intensity of extreme hydrological events, including floods and droughts. These phenomena disproportionately affect riverine communities, exacerbating inequalities in water access and often triggering inter-state and intra-state disputes.