River-Linking Project Could Redraw South Asian Hydrological Map

— The Indian government is preparing to seek international funds for a river-linking project to divert vast quantities of water from three major transboundary river systems, despite widespread concern over the effects on the ecology and livelihoods of more than 400 million people in the region, including those downstream in Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government has already officially expressed grave concern over the project at international forums, and called on India not to implement it, saying it would mean unilateral withdrawal of water from the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna (or Barak, in India) rivers, the main sources of surface water in Bangladesh...