Hydro-politics of the Indus: The Six Canal Dispute, Provincial Autonomy, and the Crisis of Federal Water Governance in Pakistan

Abstract

The six-canal project of Pakistan initiated under the Green Pakistan Initiative of the federal government in 2024-2025 has caused the most severe water dispute between provinces in decades. While Punjab and the federal government consider the construction of the six canals to be important for the increase in agriculture and food security, the Sindh considers it to be violation of the 1991 Water Apportionment Accord. The paper studies the issue of six-canal dispute with reference to the theory of hydro-politics, focusing on how the colonial inheritance, the system of provincial autonomy provided by the 18th Amendment, and institutional disputes between IRSA, CCI, and the courts affect the issue. Using official papers, media coverage, and expert opinions, the paper suggests that the dispute over six canals is not only about the distribution of water resources, but also about other underlying problems, namely the issues of power, authority, and trust within the Pakistani federation.

Keywords: Hydro-politics, Six Canal Dispute, Provincial Autonomy, Federal Water Governance, 1991 Water Apportionment Accord, Indus River, Pakistan.

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22041965