Instrumental Securitization : An Investigation of Contemporary Indo-Pakistani Hydro‐Political Dynamics

Abstract: The Indo-Pakistani rivalry has lasted for more than seven decades, experienced four major wars, countless armed skirmishes and extensive cross-border communal violence, resulting in more than one million casualties, and enormous amounts of resources diverted towards security. The disputed Kashmir region is often cited as the main reason for the persistence of the conflict. However, due to environmental stress and population increase, the influence of water-politics, as either a source of conflict- or cooperation, are gaining more analytical attention. Unquestionably, South-Asian policy-makers are increasingly linking environmental problems with national security;; thereby inevitably militarize the contextual discourses. As recent research show, elements of Indian and Pakistani political elites alike have vested interests in maintaining the hostile relationship, a relationship which diverts responsibilities in domestic (mis)management while also consolidating political power by preserving existing threat perceptions. How does this manifest in on-going water disputes? Securitization Theory argues that by discursively framing- or ’securitizing' specific issues, policy makers gain political momentum through the popular acceptance of implementing extraordinary means, which consequently removes institutional checks and balances while diverting attention away from domestic problems. This thesis aimed to explain these processes - and the underlying motivating - in one contemporary water conflict: the Indo-Pakistani Baglihar Dam dispute.