Kathmandu: With Bangladesh becoming the first South Asian country to accede to the UN Water Convention in June 2025, Nepal faces critical questions about its own transboundary water strategy. As Madhesh Province experiences severe groundwater depletion affecting millions along the Nepal-India border, the need for innovative diplomatic and technical solutions has never been more urgent. In this exclusive interview, Krishna Adhikari from RSS speaks with Jiwan Mallik, Harvard Kennedy School graduate and energy policy specialist, who explores how Nepal can navigate the changing landscape of regional water diplomacy while addressing the Indo-Gangetic aquifer crisis through engineering innovations and cooperative frameworks.
According to National News Agency Nepal, Bangladesh’s recent accession to the UN Water Convention represents a new approach to transboundary water issues in South Asia. This regional shift affects Nepal’s approach to groundwater cooperation, particularly for the Madhesh crisis that spans international borders. Bangladesh’s move is seen as a game-changer for regional water diplomacy, signaling that bilateralism alone may no longer suffice for addressing complex transboundary water challenges. For Nepal’s Madhesh groundwater crisis, this creates both opportunities and pressures.
The Indo-Gangetic aquifer system underlying Madhesh is essentially one continuous geological formation, but it’s managed by multiple states with different policies, priorities, and technical capacities. When Bihar or Uttar Pradesh increases groundwater extraction for agriculture or industry, it directly impacts water availability in Nepal’s Madhesh districts. Bangladesh’s recognition of multilateral frameworks as providing stronger legal mechanisms and technical support than purely bilateral arrangements raises the question for Nepal: should it also consider multilateral approaches for groundwater management, or can it develop innovative bilateral mechanisms that achieve similar results?
Bangladesh chose the UN Water Convention over other frameworks due to its robust technical and financial support mechanisms. Nepal can develop similar institutional support for groundwater cooperation within bilateral arrangements by learning from Bangladesh’s strategic thinking. Bangladesh recognized that effective water cooperation requires more than just legal agreements; it needs institutional support, technical assistance, and financing mechanisms.
For groundwater cooperation with India, Nepal should advocate for a comprehensive bilateral agreement that includes technical working groups, joint monitoring commissions, and shared financing facilities. This creates institutional depth similar to multilateral frameworks but within bilateral arrangements that India prefers. Additionally, sub-national cooperation is essential. Madhesh Province should develop sister relationships with adjacent Indian states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, as these state-to-state partnerships can move faster than national negotiations while building trust through practical cooperation.
Successful transboundary groundwater management requires engineering solutions that create mutual benefits rather than zero-sum competition. Mallik identifies three categories of technical interventions that can work across borders: coordinated artificial recharge systems, smart monitoring and data-sharing systems, and demand management through precision irrigation and crop optimization. These interventions are designed to provide immediate local benefits while contributing to regional sustainability.
Nepal needs a multi-layered policy approach for transboundary groundwater cooperation with India, operating at local, national, and international levels simultaneously. At the bilateral level, Nepal should advocate for a formal India-Nepal Groundwater Management Agreement, similar to existing surface water treaties but adapted for aquifer characteristics. This agreement should establish joint monitoring protocols, shared data standards, and coordinated management decisions for critical aquifer zones.
International organizations and development partners can support transboundary groundwater sustainability in Madhesh by acting as neutral facilitators, technical advisors, and funding sources. Organizations like the World Bank and Asian Development Bank, with experience in transboundary water projects, could adapt their regional approach to infrastructure financing for groundwater, supporting coordinated investments that benefit multiple countries while addressing shared aquifer sustainability.
Mallik envisions the Madhesh-Bihar-UP region becoming a model for transboundary groundwater cooperation by 2035, demonstrating how shared water resources can strengthen rather than strain international relationships. Achieving stabilized groundwater levels across the region through coordinated management, innovative technology, and agricultural transformation requires persistent effort and political will. The continued depletion of aquifers and water conflict would be detrimental to both countries, making cooperation on this fundamental resource essential for the survival and prosperity of millions.