"Where will the 'water wars' of the future be fought?" Topic

"A new paper paints a disturbing picture of a nearby future where people are fighting over access to water. These post-apocalyptic-sounding "water wars" could rise as a result of climate change and population growth and could become real soon enough if we don't take steps to prevent them.

The study, which comes from the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC), says that the effects of climate change will be combined with an ever-increasing number of people to trigger intense competition for increasingly scarce resources. This can lead to regional instability and social unrest.

The paper pointed to several hotspots in the world where "hydro-political issues" are more likely to flare up. Not surprisingly, these are areas having problems with accessing fresh water and where a "transboundary" to water exists. That means the people in that area share some body of water, like a lake or a river. So in times of scarcity due to environmental factors and growing population, the water resources become thin and tensions result…"
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Amicalement
Armand

We should never be fighting over water. Most of the earth is covered in it. Desalination plants are our friend.

Quite a historical Database in the "Water" link.
In the "levity" one, look at 73 and 10; is one of these really Twain? And what's supposed to be happening in the original work?

The water cooler, or the local Nestle's plant which bought up most of it in some regions?

(smile)

Amicalement
Armand

What Is a Water War?

link

Armand

The American southwest, for one. Most of these things never make the news, but every single one has the potential to become another Bundy-type standoff.

This is a huge concern. Freshwater supplies are finite (desal produces very limited quantities, is fuel intensive, expensive, general requires proximity to a body of water, etc.), and drinkable water supplies are facing increasing pressure from contamination and agricultural use. It absolutely has lead to crisis and conflict. In areas like the Middle East, it's just one more flash point. And that's before you get more climate "adjustment".

Anyone remember the turkey and Syria clashing in 98 or China and India in 2000? What about Kenya in 05? Sri Lanka in 06? It's an ongoing issue. Heck in the US, California, the American Southwest, etc. have all faced major shortages with water and are dealing with record droughts.

It also doesn't help that water shortages frequently lead to food shortages and famine conditions are prone to all kinds of other issues (such as disease, violence, etc.).

People will, and have, gone to war for less.