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May 29, 2026
Musadik Malik Warns against ‘Water Aggression,’ Urges India to Respect IWTDushanbe: Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Dr Musadik Malik on Tuesday warned that efforts to undermine international water-sharing agreements could jeopardize the rights of downstream nations, accusing India of attempting to politicize shared water resources in violation of long-standing international commitments.
Addressing the Fourth High-Level International Conference on the International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable Development” in Dushanbe, Malik said unilateral actions affecting transboundary rivers could create serious global challenges related to water security, food production and climate resilience.
“Water aggression is unacceptable,” Malik said, 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.
The minister urged India to respect the 1960 ‘Indus Waters Treaty’ and honor international mediation mechanisms, warning that any attempt to place the treaty in abeyance would set a dangerous precedent for downstream countries around the world.
Malik expressed concern over what he described as the decline of multilateralism in global affairs, saying cooperative international frameworks are increasingly being replaced by unilateral approaches. He warned that upstream countries could exploit this trend to pressure vulnerable downstream states by restricting access to shared water resources.
Calling access to clean water a fundamental human right, Malik said farmers and rural communities in developing nations are particularly vulnerable to disruptions in water supply. – Daily Times
Courtesy Daily Times
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