Transboundary river
A transboundary river is a river that crosses at least one political border, either a border within a state or an international boundary. Bangladesh has the highest number of these rivers, with at least 58 major rivers that enter the country from the Republic of India, including two of the world's largest rivers, the Ganges and the Brahmaputra. The Naf River is the only river that flows via Bangladesh into Myanmar.
The hydrologic and political effects of rivers that cross significant boundaries are enormous. Rivers have positive effects in that they carry a significant amount of sediment, which aids in building land in estuarine regions. However, this sediment raises the height of riverbeds, thereby causing flooding. International conventions governing water sharing have led to complex political disputes.[1]
Major international transboundary rivers
River | Length (km) | Countries |
---|---|---|
Amazon | 6,500 | Peru Colombia Brazil |
Brahmaputra | 3,848 | India Bangladesh China |
Columbia | 2,000 | Canada United States |
Colorado | 2,333 | United States Mexico |
Danube | 2,860 |
Germany |
Daugava | 1,020 | Latvia Belarus Russia |
Dnieper | 2,200 | Russia Belarus Ukraine |
Euphrates | 2,800 | Turkey Syria Iraq |
Ganges | 3,084 | India Bangladesh |
Indus | 3,500 | China India Pakistan |
Irrawaddy | 2,210 | China Myanmar |
Mekong | 4,350 | China Myanmar Laos Thailand Cambodia Vietnam |
Meuse | 925 | |
Niger | 4,180 | Guinea Mali Benin Nigeria |
Nile | 6,853 | Rwanda Burundi Uganda Congo DR Tanzania Kenya Ethiopia Eritrea South Sudan Sudan Egypt |
Rhine | 1,230 |
Germany |
Rhône | 813 | Switzerland |
Rio Grande | 3,051 | United States |
Tagus | 1,007 | Spain |
Tigris | 1,850 | Turkey Syria Iraq |
Yukon | 3190 | Canada United States |
Zambezi | 2,474 | Zambia Angola Namibia Botswana Zimbabwe Mozambique |
External links
Notes
- "India-Bangladesh Political Relations" (PDF). Sharing of River Waters. Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, February 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-09-25. Retrieved 2007-12-18.