Recent reports from the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development and the "Australia Water Partnership" highlight the "enormous and growing" risks posed by climate change to three major rivers: the Indus, the Ganges, and the Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra). These rivers support critical ecosystems and nearly 1 billion people. To address these risks, Asian countries must expand scientific cooperation and prioritize data sharing.
According to Science magazine, these three rivers originate in the rugged, icy mountains of the Hindu Kush-Himalaya region, where climate change is accelerating glacier melt and altering precipitation patterns. The authors of the reports suggest that these changes, combined with population growth and increasing demand for water resources, impact seven countries along the banks of these rivers, including Afghanistan, Nepal, and Pakistan. For example, farmers may face prolonged water shortages, while some communities may be threatened by floods.
Despite having a series of agreements aimed at collaborative river management, the failure to share hydrological, environmental, and socio-economic data remains a challenge. For instance, there is inadequate climate monitoring in the Yarlung Tsangpo basin. The report on the Ganges also notes that governments tend to withhold private data on water resources, usage, and users (especially in India), limiting cooperation.
The reports highlight language barriers as another issue, making many published research data difficult to share. To overcome these obstacles, countries can better utilize existing agreements and institutions to strengthen connections between coastal country governments and scientific institutions. There is an "urgent need to find common ground for regional cooperation dialogues."
