The Yarlung Tsangpo Brahmaputra Jamuna river system provides water for irrigation, and domestic use along the entire length of the river system, supporting the water-dependent livelihoods of riparian communities such as agriculture and fisheries. In some sections of the river system, water is used in industries and for power generation as well. In the Yarlung Tsangpo basin, recent trends show increasing water usage for industrial and domestic purposes. Due to a small population and limited development in the Tibetan region of China, water quality is relatively pristine in the upper reaches of the river system while the water quality can be seen to deteriorate downstream with increasing human activities. In the Brahmaputra and Jamuna basins, the river also provides a wide range of other benefits that are important to riparian social economies, such as inland water transport. Hydropower production is gaining increasing appreciation in the upper hilly regions. Most of the water withdrawn from the river in Brahmaputra and Jamuna basins is used for agricultural purposes. Infrastructure systems, such as hydropower stations, inland waterways, and ports have been gradually developed to harness such benefits provided by the river. While the river presents a natural barrier for connectivity between two banks, the acceleration of bridge building has overcome such barriers and significantly increased the connectivity in the basin, which also plays a fundamental role in the social and economic development of the riparian communities.