Regional Cooperation on the Ganga Basin: Yet a mirage?

Ganges is one of the important rivers of South Asia. It is a trans-boundary river between India and Bangladesh. Some rivers, originating in the Tibetan Autonomous region of the People's Republic of China and passing through Nepal, are the tributaries of this great river along with some Indian rivers. Its basin covers a little more than 1 million sq km and spreads over four countries–China, Nepal, India and Bangladesh (Table and Map). Cooperation among the countries of the basin, especially among Nepal, India and Bangladesh has been a subject of discussions at the political and professional levels for a long time for harnessing the water of the Ganges for the socio-economic betterment of the people of these three countries. Yet it has remained a mirage.