NADI Conclave Held at Guwahati

“Natural Allies in Development and Interdependence (NADI)” river conclave held at Guwahati.

Asian Confluence organised the event in collaboration with the External Affairs Ministry of India and the Act East Policy Affairs Department.

NADI, meaning river, is an initiative to articulate and activate a collective vision of sub regional cooperation in the Bay of Bengal region and with South East Asia.
It recognises the region south of Himalayas from the Ganga and the Brahmaputra to the Mekong as a contiguity of river basins with common challenges that require close cooperation beyond their political borders.
NADI is also aimed at building confidence in the key role of India’s northeastern region taking forward strategic initiatives for energy and water security in the neighbourhood and in the Bay of Bengal region, leading towards a vibrant and secure Indo – Pacific.

The step is part of India’s ‘Act East’ and ‘Neighbourhood First’ policies
The land connectivity via Myanmar and sea connectivity through Bangladesh will open up all routes to Vietnam and Philippines.
The move also aims to regional transformation by economic development of the region .
The regional economy will be totally transformed as India becomes more connected to the Northeast, and the Northeast becomes more connected to other countries.
Encourage coordination for the revitalization of our riverine linkages in order to support faster regional economic growth
India has always had old civilisational connections with East and Southeast Asian countries. These arteries ran across Assam and the Northeast.
Historical, cultural, social, and economic linkages exist between the Northeast and ASEAN blocs. Taking this into account, Assam and the Northeast can serve as a springboard for greater bilateral interaction.

The governments of India and Bangladesh signed the Port Use Agreement and Use of Cross Border Inland Waterways and Access to the Chattogram and Mongla Ports to the North East of India to harness the potential of a huge network of rivers.
Recognizing the importance of rivers for the connectivity and economy of the North-Eastern region, the Indian government designated 20 rivers as National Waterways in the region, 15 of which are in Assam.

India’s northeast region acts as the bridge to the southeast region so development of the northeast region is vital in the present situation.

Pic Courtesy : Hindustan Times

Content Source : The Hindu