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Policy and institutions analysis for the Indus-Gangetic basin

Water management at the river basin level has undergone several shifts in paradigm over the last several decades, from largely ignoring the hydrological aspects of a river basin and resorting to interbasin transfers on the one hand, to emphasizing the interconnectedness of unique ecological systems and encouraging an integrated approach for planning, on the other. River basin organizations support the integrated physical and technical management of water resources, and, if developed adequately, can respond to the growing competition for water among agricultural, industrial, urban and instream uses within basins. However, the Indus-Gangetic basin in South Asia presents very complex management challenges.