Following India’s announcement to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), Pakistan announced plans to expedite several hydropower projects to secure its water and energy needs. Today’s Economic Times also provides coverage. IWT, brokered by the World Bank in 1960, has long been seen as an essential source of water-sharing between India and Pakistan. Following an April 22 terror attack that India blames on militants from Pakistan-based, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi suspended New Delhi’s participation. Pakistan would no longer receive water from rivers over which India held rights (@EconomicTimes 15), The Times of India 15 (TTOI15). @EconomicTimes15 @TOTOI 15 Pakistan’s Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) is expediting work on key hydropower projects, including Dasu Dam, Karot Hydropower Project and Diamer-Bhasha Dam. These initiatives aim to boost Pakistan’s capacity to manage its own water resources independently. SMEC | Wiki Wiki >> SMEC (Socioeconomic Modelling & Evaluation Consortium). Dasu Dam is an ambitious project located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and features an estimated capacity of 4,320MW. Construction began in 2020 and first phase operations should commence by 2029. For more information about its history see: +4 WPNNW Wikipedia The Karot Hydropower Project on the Jhelum River became operational in June 2022 as the inaugural investment project under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Dawn.net +2 and Xinhua News both provided coverage. Ultimately it became the flagship facility under CPEC. Until that point only Saudi Arabia and Turkey had active investment projects under way within Pakistan’s Economic Corridor. CPEC projects remain on track with their projected schedule as per Dawn +2. Diamer-Bhasha Dam will become the world’s tallest roller-compacted concrete dam when completed, boasting 8 million acre-feet of storage capacity and producing 4,500MW of electricity. Due to its location in disputed territory, funding was initially problematic; however, Pakistan secured financing via their first green bond offering. China has also expedited work on key dam projects in Pakistan, signaling increased cooperation between both nations even as regional tensions rise. @EconomicTimes for more details Pakistan’s Minister of Power, Awais Leghari, strongly condemned India’s suspension of IWT as an act of water warfare and asserted Pakistan’s right to defend its water resources through legal and political means. The Times of India +4 As both nations take steps to assert control of shared water resources, the international community watches with alarm, encouraging restraint and diplomatic dialogue as the only solution for further escalation.
