Collective Action on South Asia's 'Wicked Problems'

The problems of water, energy, climate change, and urbanisation, are all intertwined; they are, also, all 'wicked'. There is little consensus on how to effectively navigate these problems, let alone, how to solve them. Of these, water is key: the threat of climatic changes is primarily manifested in water, its dwindling supply, and the conflicts that may potentially arise. It also encompasses so-called 'toad's eye' concerns of the grassroots, often informal economy, as well as the 'eagle's eye' perspectives of national and global managers. In South Asia, regional cooperation in managing water has not been successful for various reasons. While there are nascent regional instruments in the form of SAARC chartered institutions, they are weak and in need of greater push if they are to be of any use to furthering regional integration.