A river has democracy, too. If people respect this democracy, the river will respect people. Otherwise, it will only bring trouble.

Water draws multiple political, economic, and social claims on its use, distribution, conservation, and management.

In this reflective piece, Dr. Venkatesh Dutta presents the conception of multilevel water federalism as key to stimulate broader deliberations and scholarly inquiry relating to the transboundary water governance in South Asia. This conception, he suggests can help water, ecosystem, and communities re-emerge stronger and resilient.