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Rational and relational paradigms: A case study of the Indus Basin

Medha Bisht
Associate Professor, Department of International Relations, South Asian University, New Delhi, India; medhabisht@sau.ac.in

ABSTRACT: Much has been written about the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty and the role played by the World Bank. This article, however, seeks to revisit the absence, limits and challenges of social learning in state-based interventions on water diplomacy. Terming the Indus Waters Treaty a case of thin mediation, the paper questions water diplomacy interactions at two levels. By juxtaposing the case of the Indus Waters Treaty with the Indus Basin Initiative (launched in 2013 and supported by the Upper Indus Basin Network), the paper (1) highlights intersections around negotiation models and social learning, and (2) draws attention to two policy paradigms – rational and relational – that become significant frames for deliberation and for defining water diplomacy. Using the example of the Indus Waters Treaty, I also emphasise that any reliance on distributive tactics – which block social learning only perpetuates trust deficits and, in the long term, invoke water nationalism and water securitisation. The paper contributes to the investigation of social learning mechanisms, which can help further our understanding of the relational paradigms associated with water policy and diplomacy.

KEYWORDS: Negotiation analysis, water diplomacy, social learning, Upper Indus Basin Network, Upper Indus Basin Initiative, Indus Waters Treaty