1. Water Scarcity and the Potential for Warfare Suzanne Schneck Mike Taylor

2. “Water is the source of all Life” -The Koran

3. Our Objectives n Why does water scarcity matter n Water resources n Causes of shortage and industrial requirements n Who feels these shortages n Predicted future of shortage n Conflicts n Strategies for resolution

4. Why Water Scarcity Matters n Human problems –Food shortages –Health crises –International conflict n Environmental Problems –Erosion –Waste disposal problems –Polluted waters

5. Water Resources n 1360 million cubic kilometers of water on Earth n Only 0.126 million cubic kilometers are easily available for use n That’s only 0.009%

6. Where it Comes From n The illustration at right shows where the water on Earth is found

7. Causes of Water Scarcity n Aridity –Dry climate n Drought –Frequent dry spells n Dessication –Result of deforestation and over grazing n Water Stress –High population/High demand

8. Who this Effects n Undeveloped Countries –Too expensive –Lack of Industry –Sanitation –Can’t afford cost of reusing wastewater n Developed Countries –Expensive Investments –Expensive Technology –Can make Energy –Can afford to “Recycle” water

9. Statistics of Water Consumption n Global use by sector per year: –Cooling 225 cubic kilometers –Industrial 200 cubic kilometers –Domestic 100 cubic kilometers –Livestock 40 cubic kilometers –Total565 cubic kilometers n Used by individual per year: –Approx. 120 cubic meters

10. What is the problem? n 6000 cubic kilometers are needed to dilute contaminated water before recycling n More water is polluted than natural processes can purify n A problem would not exist if all water used could be recycled completely and naturally

11. Who feels shortage? n Africa n Middle East n South Asia n Western United States

12. Who needs water most? n North and East Africa n India n Republic of China n Mexico n Middle East n Southern region of former Soviet states n United States of America

13. Why these areas are in need n Industrial pollution n High population with insufficient water supply n Use of irrigation in dry countries is most intensive use of water n Many countries share water supplies unequally

14. Need for water n The chart at right shows water consumption on Earth

15. Projected effects of Scarcity on Population of Earth

16. Conflicts arising from Water Scarcity n There are many disputes that are centered around water n These problems are primarily caused by tensions arising over who holds control of water resources n These issues spread over all forms of water need (e.g. industrial, domestic)

17. How Water Causes Conflict n Unequal sharing of water resources that are unregulated by treaty n Countries who depend on water resources flowing through foreign lands feel their national security is threatened. n Treaties have a localized effect

18. Map of a Threatened Region

19. Current Issues n According to the International Food Policy Research Institute, countries experiencing “water stress” will double in 30 years and water scarcity will be 10 times worse n Threatens food shortages, health crises, and raises the potential for conflict

20. Current Issues Cont. n 300 treaties deal specifically with water n 2000 treaties mention water in their text n Recent decades have shown severe problems in the Middle East –Jordan uses very little water, but holds most of the water consumed by Middle Eastern nations

21. Current Issues Cont.2 n Some Countries demand dams in countries upstream of them, causing water shortages for both countries –In India and Nepal, dams control the Ganges and Brahmaputra upstream from Bangladesh. These developments are due to heavy flooding that killed more than 2000 people in 1993.

22. Current Issues Cont.3 n “Water - not oil - will be the dominant resource of the Middle East...” -M. Falkenmark –Within a decade, water could be as scarce a resource as oil. –Could be a matter of conflict or peacemaking

23. Strategies for Resolution of Conflict n Write multinational treaties that deal specifically with water sharing, disallowing unequal holding of water, with respect to need. –Turkey’s call for a “Peace Pipeline,” used to transfer water from the Mediterranean Sea to the Middle East –Nile Basin Commission, allowing all 9 states in the basin area to share resources

24. “New strategies are urgently needed to avert severe national, regional, and local scarcities that will depress agricultural produciton, parch the household and industrial sectors, damage the environment, and escalate water-related health problems.” -I.F.P.R.I

25. General Water Scarcity Solutions n Traditional (solutions for undeveloped nations) –Run-off farming n Putting farms at the base of run-off areas, to make use of otherwise wasted water –Flooding the Fields n Using only enough water to supply for the plant’s needs –Small-scale Irrigation n small irrigation leaves more water undrained

26. General Water Scarcity Solutions Cont. n High-tech (solutions for wealthy, developed nations) –Diverting rivers n Dams, digging new basins –Desalinification of seawater and melting of icebergs n U.S./Mexico -working on purifying seawater for irrigation n Saudi Arabia -example from class –Moving People

27. General Water Scarcity Solutions Cont.2 n Old solutions rethought –Rainwater harvesting n Rain, normally wasted through evaporation, is caught, purified, and used by humans –Water Prediction n The Regional Centre for Agrometeorology and Hydrology provide advise for when to plant crops to optimize water use

28. Summary n As a global community, we use too much water n We use water unwisely n If precautionary measures are not taken, we will run out of clean water. n The water available for use on Earth far exceeds the amount currently used n Water is the source of many international conflicts

29. Summary cont. n Treaties do not sufficiently regulate water in scarce regions n Many solutions have been proposed to solve the problem n Solutions have been proposed for countries of varying levels of wealth and technology n No one solution will solve the global problem

30. “Let not a single drop of water that falls on the land go into the sea without serving the people.” -Parakrama Bahul