The Ganga Basin Management - The Ganga: Water Use in the Indian Subcontinent - page 248

delivery of equipment, needed for project implementation. In several 'interna-
tional' river projects, the UNDP, as the executing agency, provided technical
supervision services too.

• The World Bank has a long experience in financing and assisting international

river development projects. During 50 years of its existence, it has been involved
in many projects, dealing directly with the development of international rivers
and river basins. In addition the Bank has, on several occasions, conspicuously
in the case of the Indus basin, provided its good offices to assist in resolving
disputes.

To sum up, these global and regional organizations provide much-needed techni-
cal and financial assistance to international river basins, which have not only aided
the cooperating States in developing the information required to plan and assess
potential development schemes but also helped strengthen technical capabilities of
national organizations, particularly through training of personnel to carry out these
works by themselves, which is the ultimate goal of aid programmes.
There are a number of organizations in many countries for effective river basin
management and development. These and other water resources agencies cre-
ate conditions that enable political leaders appreciate fully the opportunities and
responsibilities and the constraints of joint use for development of a national or
international river basin. If an international river basin organization exists, the con-
cerned national outfits are called upon to participate in its works. From Mr. Fox's
report some important conclusions emerge.

(a) There is no substitute for the will to cooperate by the co-riparian countries in
each situation, where a water resource is shared by two or more nations.
(b) Where the will to cooperate is present, it is of critical importance that each
riparian country understands the existing potential management and issues as
also alternative schemes and the physical, economic and social consequences
and uncertainties. For this purpose, the States' own resources are to be efficient
and reliable.
(c) Resolving technical differences by methodical exchange of data/records and
assistance by river-basin organizations are invaluable in building mutual trust
and confidence among the riparian States, which provide a solid basis for
political negotiations that every agreement requires.
(d) As in many cases, an economic incentive does not exist to negotiate an efficient
and equitable agreement on the management and use of 'international' water
resources, a consensus has to be built on legal principles, governing the develop-
ment and use of such resources. Some general principles of global applicability
could be developed on the basis of experiences in reaching bilateral, multilat-
eral and regional agreements on management of shared resources. In particular
regions, a set of regional principles is needed, such as those devised by the
Council of Europe to control pollution on international rivers in the region.
(e) In some situations, regional training and information centres should be created.
These would meet the needs of groups of countries in specific technical fields,