印度河流域水资源开发利用国际合作与纠纷处理的经验及启示

印度河流域大部分处于干旱半干旱地区,用水压力很高。印度和巴基斯坦是流域内的两个主要国家,自分治以来,两国在水资源开发利用上产生了许多纠纷。在世界银行等的协调下,两国进行了近10年的分水谈判,最终于1960年签订了分水条约。虽然目前双方在印度河水系西部河流的水资源开发利用中仍然存在一些纠纷,印度河分水合作对印、巴双方水资源开发利用及经济社会发展影响显著。本文在系统梳理和分析印度河流域水资源及开发利用情况、分水条约谈判过程及内容、当前发生的开发纠纷及处理等内容的基础上,总结了相关经验,并得出了一些有益的启示。运用公平分配、合理补偿等原则是达成印度河分水条约的关键;世界银行等第三方在促进分水合作中发挥了极其重要的作用;制订具体可操作的条约规定是避免或妥善处理实施纠纷的重要保证等。在当前国际社会普遍强调流域综合管理以及水生态环境保护的形势下,印度河分水方式难以在其它国际河流中直接应用。但印度河分水合作及纠纷处理的经验,对开展国际河流开发及制订合作条约仍具有极为重要的参考价值。

Lessons and Inspirations from International Cooperation and Dispute Resolution on Water Resources Development in the Indus River Basin

Most areas of the Indus River basin are located in an arid and semi-arid region with emerging high stresses on water resources development and utilization. International disputes on water resources development and utilization had arisen between India and Pakistan, who are the two main riparian countries in the Indus River Basin, once they were independent in 1947. After nearly 10 years of hard negotiations under the coordination of the World Bank, The Indus Waters Treaty was finally signed by the two hostile countries in 1960. The international cooperation on Indus waters allocation has led to a remarkable effect on the peaceful development and utilization of water resources and the economic and social development in the two countries. However, there are still some international disputes on water resources development over the western rivers of the Indus River System arising. Based on a systematical examination of the water resources characteristics and the status of the Indus waters development and utilization, the process of the Indus Waters Treaty negotiation and the main regulations, the international disputes on ongoing and emerging water resources development projects and the resolutions and etc., this paper draws some relevant lessons and useful inspirations. Those mainly include: applying principles of equal allocation and reasonable compensation was the key to achieve the Indus Waters Treaty 1960; a third party such as the World bank played a significant role in promoting international cooperation on transboundary waters allocation; incorporating detailed and exercisable specifications or provisions into an international waters treaty is an important assurance to avoid or properly resolve the water disputes in the treaty implementation. The Indus waters allocation approach may not be suitable for applying to other international rivers nowadays in the context of advocating integrated river basin management and aquatic ecological environment protection by the international community. Nevertheless, the experience and lessons from the international cooperation on Indus waters allocation and the dispute resolutions still have great value for referring in international rivers cooperation and development of water treaties.