Transboundary Rivers of South Asia

This program aims to foster stronger cooperation in managing shared water resources and building resilience among riparian communities, particularly in the face of escalating climate change impacts. The work comprises the transboundary Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna (GBM) River Basins across Nepal, Bhutan, India, and Bangladesh.

The GBM River Basin is one of the largest in the world, covering approximately 1.7 million square kilometers and supporting over 650 million people. This area encompasses vast cultural and demographic diversity and is home to an intricate web of freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems vital for biodiversity. The rivers and connected ecosystems are essential for livelihoods, agriculture, fisheries, and water supply across the four nations. Yet, they are increasingly vulnerable due to unsustainable development, pollution, and climate change.

SEI Asia Centre serves as a regional partner in T2:3R, playing a key role in developing tools, knowledge products, and capacity-building strategies to support consortium partners’ interventions in the Brahmaputra and Meghna basins in India and Bangladesh. SEI’s involvement will enhance grassroots diplomacy, empower local communities, including women, youth, and indigenous groups, and cultivate them as key change agents. This empowerment will enable civil society actors in the region to advocate for sustainable and equitable water governance that reflects their needs and priorities.

Building upon the successes of TROSA Phase 1, this second phase, T2:3R, expands the scope by engaging ten partners who operate at regional, national, and local scales within the GBM basin. The program’s strategic focus is to enable riparian communities to make informed decisions, practice sustainable livelihoods, and foster cooperation at all levels of water governance.

SEI’s contributions to T2:3R will focus on co-producing data and insights on resource conditions, delivering practical tools, and building pathways to enhance community resilience. A significant emphasis will be placed on developing tools that mainstream gender equality and social inclusion in managing shared resources. These efforts aim to amplify the roles of women, indigenous people, and youth, ensuring they are included in decision-making processes and water governance dialogues.

Expected Outcomes:

1. Climate-Resilient Livelihoods: Strengthening the climate resilience of communities across the GBM basins, ensuring they can sustainably manage and adapt their livelihoods in response to environmental changes.
2. Improved Ecosystem Management: Enhancing transboundary river ecosystem health and biodiversity conservation across the GBM basin, addressing critical environmental threats and fostering sustainable practices.
3. Leadership and Advocacy: Building leadership capacity among civil society, focusing on women, indigenous peoples, and youth, to influence policies and practices within government and the private sector on water governance.
4. Strengthened Cooperation and Accountability: Advancing cooperation, collaboration, and accountability mechanisms across and between the GBM basins, laying the foundation for more inclusive, equitable, and transparent water governance structures.