Presentation short abstract

This paper examines how diverse governance rationalities shape water management across Nepal–India border rivers. It argues that embracing pluralistic and adaptive approaches can strengthen resilience to floods, droughts, and climate challenges in the Anthropocene.

Presentation long abstract

Nepal–India borderlands are increasingly vulnerable to hydrological extremes of floods and drought, worsened by climate change in the Anthropocene. While major river basins along the border, such as the Koshi and Gandak, are governed by bilateral treaties, these have been controversial and inadequate. Simultaneously, hundreds of small rivers, rivulets, and streams flow from Nepal into India, remaining outside formal bilateral frameworks and creating complex challenges. Existing scholarship has focused on state-centric, technocratic, legal, and fragmented community-based approaches, neglecting lived experiences and plural worldviews. Drawing on the Theory of Plural Rationality (Cultural Theory) by anthropologist Mary Douglas, this analysis examined how diverse governance rationalities (hierarchical, individualist, egalitarian, and fatalist) interact across three transboundary rivers: the treaty-based Koshi, the medium-sized and non-treaty Tinau, and the small, marginalised Pandai basin. The study used a qualitative case study approach, drawing on desk review, field observation, and semi-structured interviews with multiple actors in the borderlands. Findings show that the dominance of hierarchical, top-down governance has deepened water-related vulnerabilities. In contrast, spaces where multiple rationalities interact through informal cooperation or polycentric arrangements demonstrate greater adaptive capacity in managing extremes. The study contributes to policy thinking by advocating for “clumsy solutions” that embrace institutional diversity and enable dynamic negotiation among rationalities. Such an approach is suited to the complex and climate-stressed realities of transboundary river governance in the Anthropocene. The paper concludes that fostering pluralistic, adaptive, and multi-level governance is essential for sustainable and equitable water management in Nepal–India borderlands.