Fresh water is an economic resource of a public good nature but with significant externalities. Holistic development of basin regions calls for effective management regimes, which at times can be inhibited by the international character of many fresh water resources. This paper examines the implications of predicted uncertainty over quality and quantity of water resources due to climate change on institutional arrangements for international river basin management. It identifies key leverage points for efficient multilateral cooperation in the Ganga sub-basin (comprising India, Bangladesh and Nepal) by analysing collaborative structures among riparian nations in four other river basins - the Mekong and Senegal basins from the developing world and the Rhine and Danube basins of the European continent.
