Spring 2014
Idea for a Brahmaputra River Basin Commission: Lessons from Mekong and Sava Rivers Basins
Md. Marufur Rahaman
The Brahmaputra is the 22ndlongest river of
the world. The Brahmaputra river has a total length of 2,880 kilometers. Total
drainage area of the Brahmaputra River Basin is around 573,400 square km. The
Brahmaputra River Basin is shared by China, India, Bhutan and Bangladesh. The
course of the Brahmaputra has changed continually over time. But at this moment,
the absence of integrated management
of the Brahmaputra River Basin
stands for an ongoing threat to future development in the Brahmaputra
River Basin. Several studies show that integrated Brahmaputra River Basin
management with effective
participation of all riparian countries could ensure sustainable development in
the whole region. This study analyzed Mekong and Sava Rivers Basins
Commissions to understand how rivers
basins are managed by riparian countries through formal commissions. Based on
the experiences from Mekong and Sava Rivers Basins Commissions, this thesis
provides a preliminary idea for a Brahmaputra River Basin Commission (BRBC).
This commission could be instituted by all riparian countries of the Brahmaputra
Basin (China, Bhutan, India, and Bangladesh). If implemented, proposed
Brahmaputra River Basin Commission could potentially support the integrated
development of the Brahmaputra Basin that promotes
sustainable development of water
and related resources for the
riparian countries.