·       Shift from water-sharing treaties to basin-management treaties to focus on functional rather than political issues. River basin management, as part of integrated water resources management, brings upper and lower riparian countries together on common challenges, including climate-related water issues, while improving coordination, dialogue, and data sharing.

·       Integrate human rights safeguards into water-sharing and management treaties to protect lower riparian communities. As affirmed by the International Court of Justice, even if countries withdraw from treaties, customary international law prohibits causing significant harm to others.

·       Consult native communities and civil society alongside government departments in negotiating and monitoring transboundary water agreements to depoliticise water sharing and management, e.g., the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement (1975) involved Inuit and Cree communities in hydroelectric development and water management decisions in Quebec, Canada.

·       Leverage technology for real-time data collection, sharing, and transparency with communities and monitoring bodies.

·       Use technology to improve agricultural water efficiency and develop early warning systems, given South Asia’s agrarian economies. Domestically, enhance water efficiency through dams, recycling, and infrastructure.

·       Shift from collective water sharing to collective water management, adopting a holistic approach to transboundary issues that includes glaciers, ecosystems, and climate-induced challenges.

·       Address water management issues bilaterally rather than internationalising them to ensure negotiations are effective, less politicised, and faster. Finland and Russia, despite political differences, manage shared water resources peacefully through bilateral mechanisms.

·       Replace myopic, boundary-focused thinking with a vision of collective good through benefit sharing, moving beyond water division or ownership. The Columbia River Treaty between the United States (US) and Canada addressed floods via dams for storage and flood control, with shared electricity generation revenue.

·       Include strong dispute resolution clauses in treaties, with third-party mechanisms for fairness and justice. This prevents upper riparian countries from weaponising water for political ends.

·       Adopt an integrated water management policy that links water governance with pollution control, trade, and transport planning prioritising regional cooperation and infrastructure support for landlocked countries to ensure equitable access, sustainable resource use, and climate-resilient economic growth.