The Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna (GBM) system is considered to be one transboundary river basin even though the three rivers of this system have certain distinct characteristics and flow through very different regions for most parts of their lengths. Not only each of these three individual rivers are big, but each one of them have tributaries which are important by themselves in social, economic and political terms, as well as in terms of water availability and use. Many of these tributaries are also of transboundary nature (Ahmad et al. 2001; Biswas and Uitto 2001). Therefore, in planning and management terms, it is simply impossible to consider GBM as one system because of its sheer size, complexities and multinational character.
By Asit K. Biswas, Chapter of the book: Management of Transboundary Rivers and Lakes, Olli Varis, edited by Cecilia Tortajada and Asit K. Biswas, 2008, Springer, Berlin, pages 143-164. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-540-74928-8_6